Nerul: Students of the State Bank of Officers' Association (SBOA) Public School, Nerul, turned environmental awareness into action by collecting 210 kg of e-waste and 75 kg of plastic waste through a series of eco-friendly initiatives held in August and September.

The school’s Eco Club organised a No Plastic Drive, E-Waste Collection Drive, seed-ball making and Best Out of Waste activities to promote conservation, responsible waste management and sustainable practices. The initiatives were guided by resident trustee Sandeep Sawant, with support from vice-principal Kamal Saroi, IWC Sangini Centurion Club and Rotary Club New Bombay Seaside.

Around 400 students from Classes IV to VIII participated in seed-ball making, learning about seed dispersal and the importance of native plants in maintaining ecological balance.

The e-waste drive saw 200 students from Classes IX and X collect discarded electronic items from their homes. The activity highlighted the environmental hazards posed by improper e-waste disposal and stressed segregation, recycling and responsible disposal.

“We realised that electronic items which are no longer in use should not simply be thrown away. They need to be disposed of responsibly because they can harm the environment,” students said.

Students from Classes III to VI collected plastic waste as part of the drive. The e-waste and plastic collected were handed over to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), in association with the Rotary Club, for responsible disposal and recycling.

Principal Madhuri Deshmukh said, “Our aim is to transform environmental education from a classroom concept into meaningful action.” She added that the activities gave students hands-on experience in reducing consumption, reusing materials, segregating waste and recycling responsibly.