For Hyderabadis, biryani is more than food. It is an emotion, a celebration and a reason to bring people together. But what if a plate of biryani could also help feed someone in need and keep our streets clean?
In Mumbai, Shakti Yadav also known as ‘Plastic Man’ a 27 year old resident is making this possible through his NGO initiative, ‘Buy Food With Plastic’. The concept is simple: bring 20 plastic bottles and get a hot meal in return. The collected plastic is recycled, while people receive food for their contribution. It is one idea tackling two problems: hunger and plastic pollution.
Growing up in a Mumbai slum, Shakti witnessed how plastic waste accumulated on streets and clogged drains, contributing to flooding his home & neighborhood during the monsoon. He also saw people struggling to access regular meals.
Instead of accepting these problems, he decided to find a solution that could address both. The initiative took shape in 2020, initially alongside his corporate job. Eventually, he left his job to dedicate himself to the cause.
Shakti also worked as a team leader at Goodfellows, a companionship startup mentored by the late industrialist Ratan Tata. His environmental work has earned him international recognition, including representing India in Germany for climate change research through the Cross-Cultural Program Fellowship.
Under the ‘Buy Food With Plastic’ initiative, people collect 20 plastic bottles and exchange them for a hot meal, biryani and juice. The team collects the bottles and sends them for recycling.
But the work does not end there. The collected plastic is processed at the initiative’s manufacturing unit in Mumbai, where it is upcycled into useful products. These include everyday items such as flowerpots and coasters, giving discarded plastic a new purpose.
The initiative has reported serving more than 45,000 meals, demonstrating how a simple exchange can create a meaningful impact. Families participate in collection drives, and children learn that waste can be a resource rather than something to throw away.
Shakti’s team is also working to make environmental awareness a habit among children. One of its efforts involves installing plastic collection points in schools, where students can deposit used plastic bottles brought from their homes and surroundings.
According to the initiative’s official website, they have established 50 such plastic collection points. These collection points allow children to put their environmental lessons into practice and encourage responsible habits from a young age. Shakti has a bigger dream to open a buy food with plastic restaurant.
For a city where biryani is an emotion, this initiative offers an inspiring lesson. Hyderabad, too, can benefit from an approach that connects food with environmental responsibility.
Imagine discarded plastic being collected instead of littering streets, while people receive meals in return. With the right community support and recycling arrangements, a similar initiative could make a difference here.
An initiative that combines a social cause with food as a reward, while solving two problems at once, deserves to be taken up in Hyderabad too. Can we imagine having a restaurant in Hyderabad
where buy food with plastic can be done?Sometimes, a small change in how we treat waste can make a big difference to both the environment and the lives of people who need a helping hand.
This post was last modified on October 14, 2026 6:06 pm