“The mindset that waste is something we throw away needs to change to ‘waste’ is something if mindfully disposed of can contribute to and help better the world.” - Interview with previous winners Nav & Vihaan Agarwal

Nav and Vihaan Agarwal from New Delhi, India won the Children’s Climate Prize 2019. Only 11 and 14 years old, they started the organization OneStepGreener which strives for a zero-waste future, aiming to reduce air pollution and improve health and wellbeing of people in New Delhi. WHO data show that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures. New Delhi is the worst of any capital city in the world by a large margin. We interviewed Nav & Vihaan to find out what has happened with the project since being awarded the prize and what the plans are for OneStepGreener in the future.

- How did winning the Children’s Climate Prize 2019 affect you and how have you developed your project since?

Winning the Children’s Climate Prize was a turning point for us. It gave us a lot of momentum and confidence to continue with greater zest. Many doors opened up that we hadn’t thought of like meeting the King and Queen of Sweden and the President and First Lady of India. We have expanded our project manifold since the award, invested in our back end and logistics, and are now operating in 3 cities with more locations on the anvil.

- Just months after you received the prize the pandemic hit the world and we have all been affected in various ways. How has the pandemic affected your work with OneStepGreener?

Initially, our work came to a halt with the pandemic as door-to-door pickups had to be stopped due to the lockdown which was imposed in India. We kept our community engaged with regular messaging reiterating the importance of segregating waste and taking care of the environment to the best extent possible. Slowly as the lockdown eased we were able to start a first-of-its-kind drop-off center in Delhi where people could drop off their waste in a safe manner. Once the community was at ease with pickups we re-introduced that too. In the interim, we did not lay off any of our team members and sustained our operations.

- What are your plans for 2022?

We are expanding our reach to more homes, schools, and offices and plan to start operations in another city this year. We have ambitious tree planting goals of 10.000+ trees this monsoon. We are moving to a larger warehouse to cater to the anticipated quantity increase with the expansion plans. At the same time, we are also looking at forming ties with larger recyclers and for a larger number of different items. We are in the process of working with large institutions to recycle their waste.

- You have a vision of zero waste management to reduce air pollution, so what do you hope will happen now? On a global scale, what do you think needs to change?

Policies need to change -we need new policies - stricter policies that need to be implemented. The mindset that waste is something we throw away needs to change to ‘waste’ is something if mindfully disposed of can contribute to and help better the world.

- Finally, you inspire lots of other young people with your work. What advice would you like to give them to take action themselves?

1. People will pull you down but you need to persevere and when you do you will find yourself surrounded by like-minded people who want to help you grow.
2. If you want to do something, give your 100% because that is only when you can help reach your potential which will have the greatest impact on the world.
3. Don't be afraid to set your priorities and focus on them.