“You are not Atlas carrying the world on your shoulder. It is good to remember that the planet is carrying you.” — Vandana Shiva (Indian scholar and environmentalist)
Through her strong reminder she proves that people neglect to acknowledge this essential fact. Her words hold up a mirror that shows us how our daily decisions affect the current environmental crisis that exists in our world.
March 18 is Global Recycling Day, established in 2018 to highlight how recycling preserves Earth’s resources. This year’s theme, “Don’t Think Waste – Think Opportunity,” reframes trash as a valuable resource. Recycling even combats climate change: each year the “Seventh Resource” (recycled materials) avoids over 700 million tons of CO₂ emissions. Yet the world still generates over 2 billion tonnes of waste annually, and plastics are a major threat. India alone produces about 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, and shockingly only ~8% of that is recycled. Left unchecked, this pollution chokes rivers, oceans and livelihoods. With climate impacts worsening, every community effort counts.
In Bihar, two youth-led NGOs are taking up the challenge, turning weekly clean-ups into a growing movement. Their founders shared how local recycling drives are making a difference – and why every citizen must play a part.
Subham Kumar, an engineer-turned-activist, founded Being Helper Foundation in Patna in 2016 to involve youth in civic action. For the past eight years he has led the Mission Civic Sense campaign, mobilizing students, vendors, and sanitation workers on weekend drives along the Ganga ghats. In conversation with Jaano Junction, Kumar explained his mantra: “The Ganga can only be clean when our cities become clean.” By collecting and segregating plastic, paper, organic, and even e-waste, his volunteers have removed an astonishing 143,612 kg of waste from the riverbanks – roughly the weight of 20 elephants. In that time, they have recycled over 200,000 plastic bottles and slashed single-use items, thermocol plates are down 98% and plastic glasses 65% in targeted areas. This grassroots effort has grown from one man’s weekly cleanup into a 1,100-strong volunteer movement.
Kumar emphasises that local action yields big benefits. Clean ghats draw tourists back, reviving over 16,000 local livelihoods such as boatmen, priests, vendors and all the working hands around the restored riverfront. He even installed public restrooms and changing rooms, turning cleaned spaces into safe spaces, reminding us that public health and dignity go hand in hand with environmental care.
On Global Recycling Day, Subham’s message is: “Recycling is not just a process- it is a responsibility.” He urges all to take "small steps to reduce waste, segregate materials, and respect nature," insisting that little actions of individuals can add up to a big collective cause. In a country where 75% of all plastics ever made become waste, his work shows that reclaiming even a fraction of it can cleanse the environment and empower communities.
Sushant Priyadarshi, president of Parmartha – A Hand for You Foundation, co-founded this Sitamarhi-based NGO in 2017 to engage young people across Bihar in social and environmental causes. Parmartha’s Paryavaran Bachao Abhiyan (“Save the Environment” campaign) is a youth-driven recycling program focusing on awareness and action at the grassroots. The foundation organizes plastic collection drives and clean-up camps in towns and villages, plus paper-recycling workshops in schools and colleges. Talking to Jaano Junction, Priyadarshi said that their volunteers fan out across over 10 districts in Bihar, encouraging households and street vendors to segregate waste and use dustbins. Recently, student interns at Parmartha helped plant over 1,000 trees in a single month as part of their eco-campaign.
The effect of Parmartha on the environment remains difficult to measure because it extends beyond the ability to assess trash weight. “We partner with schools and communities to make recycling a habit,” he says. The NGO has run multiple awareness drives that reached hundreds of residents and engaged scores of volunteers and students. By framing recycling as a civic duty, Parmartha is nurturing a generation of environmental citizens who will serve their communities throughout Bihar's rural and urban regions. Priyadarshi acknowledges challenges: India’s recycling infrastructure is still growing, but he remains optimistic. “Recycling isn’t just for governments or industry,” he says. “It starts with each individual. Small actions like refusing a plastic bag or properly sorting waste at home add up. If everyone contributes, we can make a huge impact for our planet.”
On Global Recycling Day, Parmartha urges residents to reduce single-use plastics, carry reusable items and demand better waste systems in their communities. The foundation itself continues to plant trees and run clean-ups, embodying the circular economy ideas that experts say could generate trillions in growth by 2030.
What can you do today?
The solutions are within reach: - Reduce and Reuse: Carry reusable bottles, bags, and containers. Avoid single-use plastics like straws, cutlery, and packaging. Each item not manufactured or discarded keeps CO₂ out of the atmosphere.
- Segregate Waste at Home: Separate plastics, paper, and organic waste into different bins. Proper sorting at the source makes recycling possible.
- Support Local Cleanup Efforts: Volunteer or donate to community clean-ups and recycling drives. Even a few hours helping collect waste can prevent it from reaching rivers and oceans.
- Spread Awareness: Talk to friends and family about recycling, share tips, or start a school/local campaign. Every voice raises public demand for better waste policies.
Global statistics are sobering, only about half of waste in high-income countries and just 20% in low-income countries is currently recycled. But as these NGOs in Bihar demonstrate, grassroots action can narrow the gap. On this Global Recycling Day, remember that every piece of plastic we keep out of the environment counts. By following these everyday steps, each of us helps take “the Seventh Resource” and turn it into a cleaner future for all.