PepsiCo India partners with The Social Lab (TSL) to launch its flagship program on plastic waste management – “Tidy Trails” in Agra, Uttar Pradesh

• Following its success in Mathura Vrindavan, Tidy Trails is a special initiative being launched in Agra to sustainably manage post-consumer plastic waste, with the support of Agra Nagar Nigam
• Aligned with the Government of India’s ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ initiative aimed to increase participation towards Swachhta, the Tidy Trails program was e-launched by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
• The program aims to engage +500 shops to create awareness on responsible plastic waste management
• As part of the launch, over 60 benches made of recycled plastic waste will be distributed across government offices in Agra

Agra, August 01, 2023: PepsiCo India in partnership with The Social Lab (TSL) today announced the expansion of Tidy Trails, an initiative focused on education and awareness around plastic circularity in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. With support of the Agra Nagar Nigam, the initiative will share best practices with communities to ensure plastic waste management and recycling is effectively carried out in the city.

As part of the initiative, a dedicated mobile van has been deployed to visit local shops across Agra, collecting post-consumer plastic waste to ensure effective recycling from over 500 shopping establishments across five market associations. In its one-month pilot run, over 100 kgs of plastic waste was collected per day on an average and sent for recycling. Over 500 specially branded dustbins were also distributed to the shopping establishments to mark the launch.

The Tidy Trails Agra chapter was flagged-off by key dignitaries, Mr. Syed Areeb Ahmed DYSP, IPS, Agra Police, Ms. Nirmala Dixit, Member, UP Mahila Aayog, Mr. Sudesh Yadav, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan Head of Agra, CA Umesh Garg, Independent Director IFCI Ltd , Ms. Garima Singh,Chief Government Affairs and Communications Officer, PepsiCo India, Mr. Sahil Arora, CEO, TSL, Mr. Adesh Gupta, (Director) Advisory Board, TSL and Ms. Apoorva Sharma, Partner, TSL

Under the Tidy Trails initiative, all plastic waste collected from shops will be recycled with 21 century polymers and converted into useful items like benches and chairs, to be distributed across parks and offices of Agra.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change said, “The challenge of plastic pollution demands a collective effort, where public and private sectors work together for common good. By combining the innovation and resources of the private sector, the administrative strength of the government and public responsibility, we can forge a path towards a cleaner, greener India. We congratulate TSL and Pepsico for bringing an initiative like Tidy Trails to Agra, after its successful launch in Mathura, and wish them all the best.”

Commenting on the inauguration, Sp Singh Bhagel, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Family And Child Welfare “Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’, the Uttar Pradesh government has been working towards implementing best practices for waste management across the state. I congratulate The Social Lab and PepsiCo India for the launch of Tidy Trails initiative in Agra and strongly believe this unique initiative will help us raise necessary awareness among the citizens of Agra to build a circular economy together.”

Commenting on the expansion, Garima Singh,Chief Government Affairs and Communications Officer, PepsiCo India said, “At PepsiCo India, we are guided by our ‘Winning with pep+’ philosophy and are consistently working to build a world where plastic never becomes waste by reducing, recycling, and reinventing. Aligned with this vision, we introduced ‘Tidy Trails’ – a special initiative to sustainably manage post-consumer plastic waste in Mathura Vrindavan in 2021. Followingits success, we are excited to launch the program in Agra with the support of Agra Nagar Nigam, encouraging people to keep their local environment clean and foster ‘tidy’ness, thereby building on the remarkable milestones.”

Commenting on the Inauguration Mr. Syed Areeb Ahmed DYSP, IPS, Agra “We appreciate PepsiCo’s commitment to drive positive change and address the critical issue of plastic waste management in partnership with The Social Lab (TSL). We stand shoulder to shoulder with such proactive industry leaders fostering an environment that promotes best practices for plastic waste management. Keeping in mind the historical significance of Agra, we urge PepsiCo and TSL team to also support us in keeping ‘Taj Mahal’ clean and green.”

Commenting on the partnership, Sahil Arora, CEO, The Social Lab said, “Today marks a significant day in our journey towards a cleaner and greener environment, we are proud to partner with Pepsico for this wonderful initiative. Tidy trails is a visionary step to our commitment towards addressing the critical issue of plastic waste management which can set a shining example for others to follow. We wish to collectively work with the corporate and State governments towards a sustainable and equitable future”

Speaking on the launch, Adesh Gupta, (Director) Advisory Board, TSL, said, “We commend PepsiCo’s dedication to driving positive change and addressing the critical issue of plastic waste. The government stands shoulder to shoulder with such proactive industry leaders and corporations, fostering an environment that promotes best practices and sustainable solutions.”