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TCSRD cloth bag vending machines
Community

A Bag Full Of Hope

TCSRD's new vending machine addresses environmental concerns while promoting social empowerment

January 2025     |     592 words     |     2-minute read

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Vending machines have long been ambassadors of automated retail, delivering a range of products from chocolates and chips to tickets and cash. Tata Chemicals' new initiative, however, is using vending machines as a force for social good.

In September last year, Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), the CSR division of the company, launched cloth bag vending machines to provide an eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastics. They added another dimension by engaging Self Help Groups (SHGs) in producing cloth bags and employing people with disabilities to operate the vending machines—an approach that helps address environmental concerns while promoting social empowerment.

Fight against single-use plastic

In August 2021, India banned 19 identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, aiming to replace them with reusable products based on a circular economy approach. But the country's battle with single-use plastic is far from over. According to a study by the Un-Plastic Collective (UPC), India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. This is equivalent to 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste per day, which means any effort towards reducing single-use plastic is welcome.

The inaugural vending machine was unveiled in September 2024, at the Beyt Dwarka Temple.

The machines, currently stationed at two locations in Dwarka in Gujarat, operate like an ATM, allowing users to receive a cloth bag for Rs 10. Each machine has a capacity to hold up to 300 bags. Alok Chandra, Chief of Health, Safety & Environment and CSR at Tata Chemicals, says the model involves developing backend linkages like manufacturing the cloth bags, sourcing raw materials, and machine operations through Nirantar, a group that supports people with disabilities. “Currently, members from Nirantar and other SHGs are being trained to make bags as per required specifications, and they are also exploring suitable raw material options from the market with the support of other clusters promoted by TCSRD,” said Mr Chandra.

A win-win

The inaugural vending machine was unveiled in September 2024, at the Beyt Dwarka Temple. The locations have been chosen considering factors such as machine safety, footfall, and electricity availability. “We are working to sensitise prospective users about the environmental concerns that arise from using single-use plastic bags and the benefits of cloth bags,” said Mr Chandra. So far, the response has been positive.

The users, he added, are typically tourists visiting Dwarka. “When they take a cloth bag from the machine, they are happy to get a reusable cloth bag instead of a plastic one. The community members involved in this initiative are also happy with the supplemental income opportunity.” Radhaben Manek, President of Nirantar, says the members are being trained to not just manufacture the bags and operate the machine but also to engage with customers. “We have members with disabilities like low vision and speech impairment who are being trained,” she said.

Radhaben Manek, President of Nirantar, says they have members with disabilities like low vision and speech impairment who are being trained to make bags as per required specifications

The team plans to expand this project by installing vending machines at two more locations within the city and one at the Tata Chemicals Township in Mithapur. Mr Chandra said the project is part of Tata Chemicals’ commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing the impact of climate change. “This initiative exemplifies our holistic approach to sustainability – linking environmental, social, and economic factors.”

—Anju Maskeri


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