To promote the concept of 'Sustainable Lifestyles', The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and TetraPak India, in association with the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP), had recently organised TRASH (Thinking, Reflecting and Acting for a Sustainable Habitat) - a three day festival to celebrate 'all things positive'. The message was conveyed through creative arts, music, theatre, experiential and thought provoking sessions, in the municipal garden in Panjim.

The programme also had a 'Cycle to Recycle' cycle rally, which saw children and adults come together to spread awareness on the cause. The three-day festival also included eco-workshops, heritage walks, film screenings, exhibitions, competitions, music performances and campaigns. Another highlight of the event was public art sculptures made out of waste material collected in the city.

According to Sanjit Rodrigues, Commissioner, CCP, waste should be treated as a resource, and about 95 percent of the total waste that Panaji generates can be recycled. The festival aimed at generating awareness amongst the residents of Panaji on local environmental issues, the most important being the knowledge on reducing waste and internalising recycling in thought and practice.

The TRASH festival is organised under the aegis of Project SEARCH - a school education programme on recycling and active citizenship initiated by TERI and TetraPak in 2009. Project SEARCH was launched in Goa this year, making the state the seventh in the country where the programme is active. Seven TRASH festivals have since been organised in Pune, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, since 2010, directly impacting more than 5,000 students and teachers.