Raigarh city is producing approximately 2.5 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Which either accumulates in natural freshwater ecosystems such as ponds or leachates into the groundwater or burns in the open, releasing harmful chemicals into the air and water, hence further contributing to the water and air quality degradation of Raigarh city.
Raigarh city and Plastic
I and MY Waste Program
I & My Waste is an ongoing practice based in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, working through storytelling, public engagement, research, and site-responsive art to examine how waste shapes everyday civic life in small Indian cities.
The work brings together students, residents, sanitation workers, and local narratives to explore waste not only as a material issue, but as a question of memory, behaviour, labour, and collective responsibility.
School/College team formation
Tailored sessions with teams
Solution design and implementation
Process
Raigarh city is moving from good to green.
Over the past three years, My Waste & I have worked with students and local communities in Raigarh to explore plastic waste as a shared social and environmental concern. Through workshops, conversations, creative activities, and community-based engagements, nearly 200 students aged 13 to 21 have participated in reflecting on everyday waste practices in their homes, on campuses, and in their neighbourhoods.
Rather than focusing only on awareness, the program encourages participants to observe, question, and rethink their relationship with waste and public space. These collective engagements have created opportunities for dialogue, shared learning, and local participation on issues that often go unaddressed in everyday civic life.
The work has gradually contributed to building stronger community conversations around waste, responsibility, and environmental care in Raigarh, demonstrating how small, locally rooted engagements can open pathways for collective reflection and action.
