Mumbai School Receives 40 Desks Made from Recycled Beverage Cartons

artons2Classroom Campaign by Tetra Pak, Nestle +, and Reliance Retail donates desks to Mahatma Phule Vidyalaya, Lenyadri Shikshan Sanstha

Mahatma Phule Vidyalaya, Lenyadri Shikshan Sanstha at Mankhurd, Mumbai received a special gift from the Cartons2Classroom campaign, launched by Tetra Pak in partnership with Nestle +, Reliance Retail, and implemented by RUR Greenlife last year on World Earth Day.

The students were welcomed by 40 brand new desks made entirely from recycled beverage cartons, a result of the collective effort of Mumbaikars who donated their used cartons throughout the year.

In April 2022, the campaign partners had pledged to collect 10 lakh used cartons and donate 100 desks to less privileged schools. Over the past year, 60 desks have been donated to schools like Mahim Police Colony School and Pune Vidyarthi Griha, Nerul.

During the handover of the desks, Damodar Mall, CEO- Reliance Grocery Retail, said that frugality and recycling have been a part of their way of life for generations. He invited more Mumbaikars to join the Cartons2Classroom effort and make a difference.

Nirjhara Rastogi, Communications Director, Tetra Pak South Asia, expressed pride in what they are creating for future generations. She added that the success of the year-long campaign with Reliance, RUR, and Nestle is a clear indication of growing environmental awareness and people’s willingness to bring about positive change.

Cartons2Classroom is part of a program called ‘Go Green with Tetra Pak,’ which was launched in 2010 in collaboration with Reliance Retail and RUR Greenlife. The program encourages and enables Mumbaikars to drop off their used beverage cartons at over 57 Reliance Smart and Sahakari Bhandar outlets across Mumbai, which are then recycled into useful items like desks and garden benches and donated back to society.

The CEO of RUR Greenlife, Monisha Narke, stated that since the launch of the program in 2010 with Tetra Pak and Reliance, it has been both exciting and satisfying to see the program grow from strength to strength.

Tetra Pak cartons are paper-based, recyclable, and increasingly being recycled through a robust ecosystem nurtured by Tetra Pak over the last 18 years, working closely with various stakeholders such as urban local governments, NGOs, brand owners, academia, and consumers. The campaign is a step towards protecting the planet and people and creating a positive change in society.