Recycling used paper for a noble cause

Hyderabad: A city-based NGO,Yuvatha, has come up with a unique idea of recycling old books and distributing them in government schools.

As there are many deprived children studying in the government schools, who do not have the means to purchase new notebooks, Yuvatha has taken up the initiative to meet the needs by distributing notebooks.

According to Nilesh Maripalli, the president ofYuvatha, SakethKothamasuquit his job and founded this NGO in 2011, as he wanted to do something for the society, especially for children.The NGO is based in Musheerabad. Our NGO undertakes various projects to serve the needy which includes ECO–Hub for raising awareness about ecological issues, and Helping Hands for providing recycled books to children.

The recycling of old books commenced in 2018 and there are more than 200 people volunteering to support the NGO's cause. "Many corporate schools, colleges, concerned citizens, corporates supported us by donating wastepaper. We approached the DistrictEducational Officer's office, Hyderabad, to help us in selecting the government schools for distribution,"said Nilesh Maripalli.

A recycling unit is helping their cause by accepting wastepaper and gives them new recycled notebooks. Impressed by the initiative, the owner of a paper recycling establishment, has been extending his help and has been producing the notebooks at Rs 3 each, which includes logistics, printing and binding cost.

"Once we get a good number of old books, we send them to the recycling unit. Distribution drive generally starts in last week of June.With the help of DEO office. we list out the government schools which needour support and our volunteers visit them to distribute the books. By the last week of July, the distribution exercise gets completed," informed Maripalli.

After the distribution, they post pictures on social media so that more people join us in this initiative.

This year so far, the NGO has collected over 22,000 kg of used paper, newspapers, magazines and other paper material from schools, colleges, corporate companies, and gated communities and recycled them into 60,000 new notebooks and distribution is in the process. Last month around 800 books were distributed at the Government High School in Ameerpet.

Last year 25,000 kg paper was collected, and 71,000 notebooks were distributed in more than 25 government schools and over 14,000 children benefited from this drive, says Nilesh.