In October 2019, Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh became home to India’s first garbage café, a small but symbolic attempt to tackle two challenges at once, plastic waste and hunger. The idea was simple and direct: bring in plastic waste, get a meal in return.

One kilogram of plastic earned a plate of rice, dal, vegetables, and papad for lunch or dinner. Half a kilogram fetched a breakfast meal. The café was set up near the city’s bus stand by the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation, and quickly became a talking point across the country.

The plastic collected did not end up in landfills. Instead, it was redirected into municipal recycling systems, sometimes even being used in road construction.

This gave waste a tangible value, while providing people with food in a way that upheld dignity. Ragpicke

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