Guwahati Railway Station Set to Become India’s First 100% Plastic Recyclable Station under NFR’s Green Mission

Guwahati, 7th October: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has launched a series of pioneering initiatives across its network to promote environmental sustainability and fulfill the objectives of Indian Railways’ Green Mission 2030. Among these, the transformation of Guwahati Railway Station into India’s first 100% plastic recyclable station marks a major milestone in sustainable railway operations.

Acording to an official statement issued by Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR, the initiative is being implemented through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NFR, the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), and a local authorized recycler, with technical support from IIT Guwahati. The collaboration brings together scientific innovation, regulatory compliance, and practical execution to establish a replicable model for effective plastic waste management across the region.

Under this programme, NFR has introduced a comprehensive plastic waste management system featuring colour-coded dustbins for segregation, bottle crushing machines, composting units, and QR code-based monitoring for real-time efficiency tracking. Eco-friendly compostable bags developed by IIT Guwahati have replaced single-use plastics in trains, leading to a substantial reduction in plastic waste generation.

To raise awareness and encourage community participation, NFR has conducted several “Waste-to-Art” exhibitions, Nukkad Nataks, Scouts & Guides awareness drives, and digital campaigns at various stations. These initiatives have significantly fostered environmental consciousness among passengers, vendors, and railway staff. As a result, vendor compliance has reached 100%, passenger cleanliness complaints have fallen by 60%, and the overall ambience of stations has notably improved.

Building upon these achievements, NFR now plans to replicate the 100% plastic recyclable station model at nine additional stations within its network. This initiative underscores NFR’s commitment to creating a cleaner, greener, and more environmentally responsible railway zone.