India, July 3 -- Whether it's getting food delivered to your doorstep or carrying home groceries, plastic bags are a convenience that most of us don't think twice about. Single-use plastic has remained ingrained in daily life, despite the environmental cost and several attempts to go plastic-free. But some youngsters from Delhi-NCR are changing that. On International Plastic Bag Free Day today, they tell us how about they aim to beat plastic pollution through sustainable alternatives and eco-friendly initiatives. From college campuses to local communities, people are stepping up to tackle the plastic problem through real, hands-on action. For instance, the Enactus team at Delhi University's (DU) Sri Venkateswara College is targeting one of the most plastic-heavy industries: food. "Through our Project Fankaari, we're working to eliminate plastic bags used in food packaging and delivery," shares Ujjwal Jain, a student member of the team, adding, "We've teamed up with potters to design food-grade terracotta packaging that is about 95% recyclable." This sense of purpose is echoed by the Rise Foundation. Madhuri Varshney from Dwarka-based NGO, which encourages students to make ecobricks, shares, "Real change happens when you make the solution fun. We conduct drives at several schools and DU colleges. Youngsters are tasked with collecting plastic bags and other waste and stuffing that into plastic bottles to make ecobricks." She notes, "It's an activity that transforms waste into something useful and makes students mindful of the plastic they use everyday." Elsewhere, the initiative Recycle Mela has been popping up around DU's College of Vocational Studies and the Faculty of Law. "We offer locals a chance to drop off single-use plastic items at various community centres in exchange for eco-friendly products," informs Ruby Makhija, from Why Waste Wednesday Foundation that runs the mela. She explains, "We also visit campuses where students hand in their plastic waste, and in return, we give them notebooks made from recycled paper and reusable cloth bags. We want to make recycling feel accessible and cool for the youth."...