Lucknow, Oct. 12 -- About 225 kg of plastic waste, including hard-to-recycle packaging, has been reborn as five public benches at the Lucknow railway station. The initiative is aimed at turning waste generated by the railway ecosystem into infrastructure. The five benches, installed last month on Platform 6, use about 45 kg of discarded plastic each. The initiative has been undertaken in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) under the Sprite Tejas Express initiative and is the first such installation at a railway station in Lucknow, officials said. The recycled material includes plastic as well as hard-to-recycle multi-layer packaging (MLP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The waste is sourced both from railway premises and through private vendors before being processed and converted into benches suitable for public spaces. Each bench costs about Rs.7,000-10,000, including logistics. No payment has been made or received by the railways for their installation, said NER divisional railway manager Gaurav Agrawal. "The focus is on making the best use of plastic and recycling it in the best possible way," Agrawal said. A key test for the benches in Lucknow's climate will be their ability to withstand prolonged exposure to heat. Officials said the recycled-plastic structures can withstand extreme temperatures without losing their structural form. Their actual lifespan, however, will depend on usage and normal wear and tear. Officials cited similar benches installed in Delhi, which have remained intact despite temperatures reaching 46-47degC. The initiative is intended to demonstrate how packaging waste can instead be converted into durable products for public use. The Lucknow installation is the first under the Sprite Tejas Express initiative. The waste-to-value approach is also being extended to other components associated with branded train. Plastic trays used on the Sprite Tejas Express are made from recycled plastic, while additional products made from recycled material are planned for use by railway staff and passengers. The initiative effectively links waste collection with its reuse within the railway environment, into infrastructure that can be used by passengers. According to the railway public relations officer, the six stations under the North Eastern Railway (NER) generate around 1,000 kg of waste daily, including approximately 300 kg of dry waste and 700 kg of wet waste. The waste is handed over to the Nagar Nigam every day for further disposal....