What Are Garbage Cafes That PM Modi Mentioned In Mann Ki Baat?

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded an innovative initiative called the Garbage Café, operated by the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation in Chhattisgarh, during the 127th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

Highlighting the campaign, PM Modi said, “A unique initiative has been launched in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, to clean plastic waste from the city.”

Located at the Ambikapur Bus Stand, the Garbage Cafe is redefining civic responsibility by offering full-course meals in exchange for plastic waste.

Under this initiative, one kilogram of plastic fetches a meal for lunch or dinner, while half a kilogram earns a breakfast.

The Garbage Cafe, launched in 2019 with the slogan, “More the waste, better the taste”, aims to tackle India’s growing plastic waste problem through an innovative and inclusive approach.

Appreciating the effort, PM Modi described such initiatives as “inspiring examples” of how determination can bring a meaningful change.

In a post on X, he wrote, “Be it the unique initiative to clean plastic waste in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, or the campaign to give new life to wells and lakes in Bengaluru, these are inspiring examples of the fact that if one is determined, no change is difficult.”

Mann Ki Baat is Prime Minister Modi’s monthly radio address to the nation, where he discusses key national issues and inspiring stories from across the country.

Broadcast on the last Sunday of every month since its launch on October 3, 2014, the programme aims to connect with various sections of society, including women, youth, and the elderly.

The programme is aired in 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects, and 11 foreign languages — including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Balochi, Arabic, Pashto, Persian, Dari, and Swahili — through more than 500 All India Radio centres.

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