India, March 8 -- Over 18,000 of thestate's women have transformed the idea of cleanliness into a sustainable business model

Plastics are rapidly vanishing from rural and semi-urban Karnataka, thanks to the efforts of an army of 18,000 women who have worked tirelessly to sensitise the people and remove the non-biodegradable waste from their locality. This crusade to tackle solid waste, which includes plastic, has also ensured economic independence for these women who are part of over 2,000 self-help groups (SHGs) in the state operating in smaller towns and villages.

"People have stopped accepting plastic from shopkeepers. It is only being used in the fish and meat markets because there are no alternatives. But people even reuse these pl...