Mumbai Confirmands Collect 653 Kg of Plastic Waste, Nearly Tripling Last Year’s Total

Seventy-five young people preparing for Confirmation at St. Anthony’s Church in Vakola, Mumbai, collected 653 kilograms of plastic waste during a parish-wide environmental campaign, nearly tripling the amount recovered the previous year.

The drive, which concluded on October 25, was part of the parish’s observance of the Season of Creation 2026. It also included a water conservation pledge campaign encouraging households to adopt responsible environmental practices.

Organized by the Confirmands in collaboration with the parish’s Small Christian Communities (SCCs), parishioners, and Bisleri’s Bottles for Change initiative, the campaign collected 653 kg of plastic, up from 218 kg in 2025. The recovered material was transported in two truckloads for processing in collaboration with Team Bisleri.

Vakola is a residential neighborhood in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, where the initiative demonstrated how parish communities can address plastic pollution through coordinated household-level action.

The Confirmands divided the parish into five zones and worked in pairs to visit homes and collect discarded plastic. They used a live worksheet to track household visits and monitor progress throughout the seven-day drive.

Collected waste was brought to a designated area within the parish premises, where participants sorted it into categories before weighing it. Two team members recorded and verified the weights to ensure an accurate final tally.

Fr. Joyous Koreth, spiritual director of the Team Confirmation, described the initiative as an eye-opening experience.

“The initiative strengthened my conviction about the need for meaningful efforts to restore the health of our planet,” he said.

The household visits also allowed the young participants to engage residents in conversations about plastic consumption, waste segregation, and the environmental consequences of improper disposal.

Alongside the collection drive, the parish conducted a water conservation pledge campaign from October 18 to 25. Confirmands visited households and invited families to commit to simple water-saving practices. Participants submitted their pledges through an online form, allowing the parish to document their commitments.

The two initiatives sought to turn environmental awareness into practical action by encouraging families to reduce plastic waste and use water responsibly.

The young participants said the campaign helped them recognize the volume of plastic generated through everyday activities and the importance of collective responsibility.

Cadryn Esteves said visiting homes and collecting waste made the scale of plastic consumption more apparent, while residents’ cooperation reinforced the value of community action.

Clarissa D’Souza highlighted the opportunity to interact with residents and contribute to environmental protection. Bevan Fernandes pointed to the support of neighbors and SCC members, which strengthened community ties and encouraged the young volunteers.

Through the initiatives, St. Anthony’s Church sought to make care for the environment a continuing parish responsibility beyond the Season of Creation, encouraging proper waste segregation, reduced dependence on single-use plastics, and water conservation at home.

(With inputs from Cecil Corriea, St. Anthony’s Church, Vakola.)