Malhar Kaalambe and Dr Binish Desai recycle PoP Ganesha idols into study tables for students

Highlighting the importance and need for sustainable practices during and after festivals, Malhar Kaalambe teams up with Dr Binish Desai to recycle PoP Ganesh idols for students.

In a powerful demonstration of the circular economy and environmental responsibility, over 2,000 kilograms of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesha idols have been recycled and transformed into durable study tables for schoolchildren under the PoP Ganesha Recycling Project 2025. The project was supported by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and funded by Henkel India.

The initiative was originally conceptualised in 2022 by Dr Binish Desai, popularly known as The
Recycle Man of India. To scale the project’s impact, Dr Desai collaborated in 2024 with Malhar Kaalambe, Swachhata Ambassador of India (NCA), successfully recycling PoP Ganesha idols into utility products such as pen stands, table lamps and planters.

Taking the initiative a step further in 2025, Dr Desai, through Pushpam and Malhar Kaalambe through his community Beach Please, partnered with the Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai – Joy of Giving to expand the project’s social impact. Under this collaboration, PoP Ganesha idols collected after the Ganesh Festival were responsibly recycled, preventing their immersion into natural water bodies and significantly reducing environmental harm.

A structured collection and processing drive was undertaken in strict compliance with environmental safety, hygiene and cleanliness standards. The process included systematic collection of PoP idols, scientific dismantling in accordance with the prescribed environmental guidelines, material segregation and precise weighing and packaging for recycling.

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The reclaimed material was processed and converted into learning assets through Pushpam’s
women-led, hand-crafted manufacturing, under the process and quality oversight of Nuoterra
Innovations Private Limited. Using Nuoterra’s proprietary PoP recycling technology, the recycled material will be repurposed into approximately 400 durable folding study tables, which will be distributed to schoolchildren.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr Binish Desai said, “Festivals should leave behind memories, not waste. This project proves that devotion and sustainability can coexist. By recycling PoP idols into something as meaningful as study tables, we are turning faith into a force for environmental and social good.” Meanwhile, Malhar Kaalambe, Swachhata Ambassador of India (NCA), added, “This initiative goes beyond recycling - it is about responsibility. What was once festival waste will now support a child’s education. If we rethink how we celebrate, we can protect our environment while creating real impact on the ground.”

The initiative stands as a replicable model across India for sustainable festival practices, demonstrating how environmental protection, community participation and social development can work together to create long-term change.