Dabbawalas From Mumbai Save Food Worth Rs.40 Lakh From Being Wasted

Mumbai dabbawalas are admired world over for their unmatched service and flawless tiffin delivery. Here’s something that will make Mumbai-kars all the more proud of them as they have saved food wort Rs.40 lakh from going into the trash through their Roti Bank drive according to a report by Scoop Whoop.

Food Saved From Being Wasted

The Mumbai Dabbawala Association (MDA) had started a drive, Roti Bank to deliver leftovers to the people who couldn’t afford to buy food. The report further says that the MDA even sources leftovers from big events and eateries by tying up with caterers, wedding planners, and food joints across Mumbai.

The food collected by the staff of the MDA then distributes it amongst the poor and saves food from going in to the dump. Their food waste management drive also allows people to donate food through a phone call, receiving which, the staff will come down to the donor’s location and collect the food.

The staff even checks the hygiene level and how stale the food is so as to not deliver food which is unfit for consumption. “No one likes to have baasi khaana (stale food) and this is applicable to even the poor and needy,” said Subhash Talekar who started this initiative. “When our staff collects the food, they eat a small portion of it and only if it is in a good condition, then we distribute it. We make sure that the distribution takes place within 3-4 hours of a food donation request,” he added.

Flawless Food Waste Management

The report further says that the Mumbai dabbawallas pick up two lakh tiffins and using the leftovers, they manage to feed around 300 to 400 hungry people. 200 of the 5000 staff of the MDA is dedicated for running this initiative. The staff had even collected six sacks of food packets in the Mumbai Marathon which were unused and distributed those among the poor as well.