Mathura, 5 June 2025: Commemorating World Environment Day 2025, PepsiCo India is celebrating the impactful strides made under its ongoing ‘Purna – Unnati ki Saajhedaari’ initiative in Mathura-Vrindavan. Guided by its ‘Partnership of Progress’ vision, PepsiCo India is working towards building a world where packaging waste is minimized. Through this effort, the company has brought people together on a shared mission to support Mathura’s evolving waste management landscape and has successfully diverted over 3,200 metric tons of waste out of landfills.
‘Purna – Unnati Ki Sajhedaari’ places the waste workforce at the heart of transformation, recognizing them as ‘waste professionals’ and creating opportunities for their growth, additional income, and leadership, empowering many to take up waste management as a full-time profession. A successful partnership between PepsiCo India, PLAN Foundation, Recity Network, and Mathura Vrindavan Nagar Nigam, the initiative aims to empower underserved communities while diverting waste from landfills and building a circular, equitable, and inclusive solid waste management system in Mathura.
Project Purna aims to transform Mathura-Vrindavan into one of India’s cleanest cities and has made a significant impact, including:
- Successful professionalization of over 260 waste workers through trainings on technology, safe handling of waste, improved segregation of recyclable waste. By generating recyclable waste materials which can be sold to recyclers, these workers are not only able to divert waste from landfills but also creating additional incomes for themselves.
- Reached 50,000+ citizens and engaged 5 million tourists on the importance of waste segregation.
- Nearly 400 workers benefitted under government schemes such as Aayushman Bharat Health Account, PMJAY, PMJJY.
- 60+ workers covered under Life Insurance worth nearly 2 crore.
- Uniting women professionals into 5 Self Help Groups, providing vocational training in making 10+ products for home and commercial use, and generating dignified incomes as entrepreneurs.
- The city has made remarkable progress, achieving 61% waste segregation
Yashika Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Sustainability Head, PepsiCo India and South Asia, said, “This World Environment Day, we reaffirm our commitment to building a circular and inclusive waste value chain—an effort that calls for collective action and sustained impact. Through Project Purna in Mathura-Vrindavan, we are proud to support local communities in creating resilient waste management systems that are both sustainable and empowering. This initiative not only strengthens circularity in the twin cities but also creates dignified livelihoods for women waste workers. At the heart of this effort is a Partnership of Progress—a shared journey with our partners that is driving collective impact and enabling systemic change. Together, we are transforming waste into opportunity and purpose.”
Neha Sasikumar, Director, PLAN Foundation, highlighted, “At PLAN Foundation, we believe in enabling collective action that drives inclusive, sustainable change for communities and the planet. Project Purna reflects this commitment – empowering waste professionals, fostering gender equity, and creating climate-resilient livelihoods at the last mile. We are grateful to PepsiCo India for the opportunity to co-create this transformative journey in Mathura-Vrindavan. Their steadfast support has been instrumental in turning our shared vision of a circular, dignified, and equitable waste ecosystem into reality.”
Uma Tiwari, a resident of Radhika Vihar, shared, “Project Purna made me more aware of the importance of cleanliness. As a green leader, I now share updates, report issues, and encourage my neighbours to follow better waste practices. I am proud to be a part of the change.” In addition to this, Anup Kumar, a formal waste worker, highlighted, “Project Purna helped me get my Ayushman Bharat Card, which covered the treatment when I fractured my hand. This support has greatly impacted my health and well-being.”
Mili Khare, a SHG member and informal waste professional, expressed, “I am truly excited at the launch of our phenyl khushboo. People of my community have started to recognise me as ‘Business waali Didi’. Our dreams seem achievable now. We are humbled by the support we have received from the Project Purna team and administration.”
About PepsiCo India:
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s®, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Project Purna continues to drive meaningful impact and sustainable transformation, bringing to life of how inclusive circular economies can be co-created by engaging governments, brands, and communities.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
For any media queries, please contact:
From PepsiCo India:
Aastha Jindal | Aastha.Jindal@pepsico.com
From Avian WE:Akshit Sharma | akshit@avianwe.com