Pune’s transformation from a sleepy little retirement town to a bustling hub of education and industry has been tough on its natural resources. Once known for its lush greenery, rapid urbanisation and construction are fast stripping the city of its green cover. Amidst this chaos, several youngsters in Pune are staunchly battling to maintain someContinue reading

Updated: Apr 13, 2018, 09:36 IST Debjani Banerjee, a former teacher, started an eco-friendly bag production unit in 2007, a decade before a surge in demand for plastic-free storage. Now, thanks to the state government’s recent ban on most plastics, Banerjee‘s investment in the jute and cotton bag production units are paying off handsomely. “I cameContinue reading

Updated: Apr 9, 2018, 00:24 IST Edited: pic in p common file name bark, bin, bag Caption for bark: Plate and bowls made using betel nut bark Caption for bin: Surendra Shroff with the garbage bin liners made out of newspapers. Caption for bag: Cloth bag recycled from a used children’s t-shirt. Pune: Dump theContinue reading

Updated: Apr 3, 2018, 08:41 IST PUNE: Restaurateurs in the city are increasingly opting for bags and cutlery made of corn starch to meet their take-away and delivery orders in the wake of the plastic ban imposed by the state government. “The corn starch bags look and feel just like the ones made of plastic. Paper containers are alsoContinue reading

Updated: Apr 02, 2018 14:13 IST Every weekend, more than 100 volunteers walk up to the seven Tekdi hills in the city, armed with watering cans, bottles, and even gunny bags filled with coco peat, all to help trees survive the sweltering heat during the hottest months of the year. Himanshu Kulkarni, a volunteer atContinue reading