A plastic roof is the latest attraction at Mayanad Aided UP School in Kozhikode these days. Each student and school staff are proud of it, which they consider the fruit of their labour.

The 7,000-square-foot roof of the new school auditorium/assembly hall has been constructed using tiles made of recycled plastic for which the students and staff of the school conducted a massive collection drive named 'Plasticinu punarjanmam' across the district for a year.

"Initially, we had planned to use roofing sheets. But knowing about the plastic recycled construction materials changed our plan," said Anoop K., headmaster of the school who spearheaded the project.

M.P. Babu, chairman of a private firm and a well-wisher of the school, had agreed to provide his company's services at a subsidised rate for the school provided they make the raw materials available.

The project was launched by Ahammad Devarkovil, MLA, and Mayor Beena Philip during the District School Arts festival in 2024. The school authorities went to great lengths to implement the project, as great amounts of plastic were required for the purpose. They collected all the plastic waste that was available at the venues of festivals such as the District School Arts Festival and the State Special Olympics. The Deputy Director of Education gave special permission for the school to collect plastic waste from schools across the district.

Besides, the Sargaalaya Art and Craft Village at Iringal, UL Cyber Park, and various factories in the district joined the initiative. And more than 900 bags of plastic waste were shipped to the firm to be moulded into roofing tiles.

"Our effort has created an awareness about waste management at least in the neighbourhood. The public now understands that plastic has value and that it should not be thrown away," Mr. Anoop said.

The project has helped the school bag many awards including the 'Haritha Vidyalayam' award from the State Pollution Control Board as well as the Kozhikode Corporation. The project was also presented at the sanitation conference of the Suchitwa Mission in 2024.

Mayanad AUP School sets a new model in plastic waste management