IIFL Foundation, in partnership with Yashlok Welfare Foundation, has provided raincoats made from recycled PVC plastic waste to Mumbai Police personnel deployed for festival bandobast duties. The initiative combines frontline worker support with plastic-waste management, skill development and livelihood generation.
The raincoats were distributed to help police personnel working outdoors during the monsoon and festival season, when officers often remain on duty for long hours in challenging weather conditions. The programme was carried out in the presence of Madhu Jain, Director, IIFL Foundation, and Alok Adhikari, Director, Yashlok Welfare Foundation, along with senior police officials.
Turning Plastic Waste Into Useful Products
The initiative uses discarded PVC plastic as a raw material for manufacturing protective raincoats. Instead of sending the material into conventional waste streams, the plastic is processed and converted into products that can serve frontline workers.
Yashlok Welfare Foundation has been working on programmes that connect plastic recycling with skill development and employment opportunities. Its initiatives have involved training underprivileged women and young people to manufacture products from recycled PVC.
The organisations’ approach therefore addresses two challenges at the same time — managing plastic waste and creating opportunities for people from underserved communities.
Supporting Livelihoods Alongside Sustainability
The latest programme also includes a livelihood component, with 80 beneficiaries receiving opportunities linked to skill development and manufacturing. Through practical training, beneficiaries can develop production skills while participating in the conversion of plastic waste into finished products.
The initiative builds on earlier work by the two organisations. IIFL Foundation’s 2024-25 annual presentation records a Mumbai Police raincoat programme in which 110 individuals received training and livelihood opportunities, while 1,000 recycled-plastic raincoats were produced and gifted to the Mumbai Police Department.
Yashlok has also worked on related projects using plastic collected from Mumbai’s beaches, the Mithi River and nearby landfills to manufacture recycled products for frontline workers.
A Circular Economy-Based CSR Model
The partnership brings together environmental sustainability, livelihood generation and community support. The model gives discarded plastic a second use while creating employment-linked skills and supplying protective equipment to police personnel.
The organisations have previously collaborated on other protective products, including recycled-plastic helmets for police personnel, students, gig workers and other members of the public.
The latest raincoat distribution highlights how CSR programmes can address an immediate community requirement while also supporting longer-term environmental and livelihood objectives.
Comments are closed