In the metropolitan areas of Kolkata and the Sundarbans region of West Bengal, a new generation of eco-warriors is taking the future into its hands – starting with responsible plastic waste management.

More than 45,000 students between 11 and 18 years old took part in a two-year pilot programme organised by SOCEO, which taught them about the scale of plastic waste pollution in their region, and the role they could play in addressing it. They then took the message back to 300,000 people – including their peers, families, and communities – rallying them around the plastic waste management issues threatening their region and the Sundarbans delta ecosystem.

The success of this pilot programme has encouraged SOCEO to replicate Changemakers in other areas of the country. And while the Alliance's involvement in this phase of the Changemakers project has drawn to a close, we are further working with SOCEO to adapt this education programme for regional and global audiences.

In India, plastic consumption has increased exponentially due to population growth, rapid urbanisation, and increased demand. As a result, about 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually, according to India’s Central Pollution Control Board.

The Changemakers pilot, which involved 69 high schools, began with identifying schools and partners for the project and conducting a baseline study to discover how aware students were of the challenges and effects of plastic waste. The Alliance and SOCEO then jointly developed a peer-to-peer learning programme. Besides learning about the uses of plastic and plastic waste management, these young eco-influencers reflected on their own behaviour and developed the skills and knowledge necessary to become agents of change. They also had the opportunity to organise clean-up drives, hold awareness rallies, conduct dialogues, workshops and, most importantly, spread the message in both urban and rural communities.

The curriculum was later compiled into “Teaching Learning Activity Material”.

The simplicity of Changemakers' design belies its impact. In a country where waste management strategies are still nascent while plastic waste volumes continue to grow, and people’s behaviour is often deeply entrenched, the impact of this initiative via the younger generation could be far-reaching.

Over the course of the pilot, 35 schools collected more than 3 tonnes of plastic waste. More importantly, a survey conducted at the end of the project showed that because of the curriculum, 95% of the participating students were more likely to stop littering in the streets.

The Sundarbans region is also home to important natural habitats, including one of the world's largest mangrove forests. Running through it are the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna, which are among the world's most polluted rivers. Plastic waste that finds its way into the water gets entangled in the mangrove roots, threatening the riverine and forest ecosystems. Wildlife that thrives there is harmed, and livelihoods, especially fishing, is affected.