What’s Maidaan Saaf?
Maidaan Saaf is a campaign by Coca-Cola India and Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, that focuses on promoting responsible plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling at high-footfall cultural or sporting events. It reinforces our broader environmental goals by helping to build stronger waste collection systems, encouraging the reuse of materials like post-consumer PET, and raising awareness about the value of recycling.
Launched in 2023 during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the campaign has since been activated at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as well as India’s iconic festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, Maharashtra; Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha; and most recently, Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Driven by innovation, collaboration, and community action, Maidaan Saaf continues to evolve as a multi-dimensional campaign grounded in a commitment to making a meaningful difference.
Focus Areas
Maidaan Saaf works to strengthen on-ground plastic waste collection systems at large-scale events by collaborating with cleanliness workers, implementation partners, and local authorities.
Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) installed at public locations like railway stations, food courts, and during events like ICC World Cup, Maha Kumbh and Rath Yatra support PET bottle collection through a tech-enabled, reward-based system.
Partnering for Collection
Maidaan Saaf helps demonstrate how discarded materials can be given a second life.
Be it national flags and jackets for cleanliness workers crafted from recycled PET at ICC World Cups, or changing rooms for women at Maha Kumbh 2025 made from multi-layer plastic—the campaign showcases practical reuse of materials in line with our broader packaging goals.
Promoting Recycling
Maidaan Saaf encourages public participation through innovative on-ground messaging about waste segregation and recycling. From volunteers with placards at ICC World Cups to illustrated comics on changing room walls and hydration carts at Maha Kumbh 2025, the campaign nurtures shared responsibility around plastic waste.
Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) incentivize consumers to recycle through an easy-to-use, tech-enabled experience—reinforcing the importance of responsible disposal.
Consumer Engagement
What’s Maidaan Saaf?
Maidaan Saaf is a campaign by Coca-Cola India and Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, that focuses on promoting responsible plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling at high-footfall cultural or sporting events. It reinforces our broader environmental goals by helping to build stronger waste collection systems, encouraging the reuse of materials like post-consumer PET, and raising awareness about the value of recycling.
Launched in 2023 during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the campaign has since been activated at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as well as India’s iconic festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, Maharashtra; Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha; and most recently, Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Driven by innovation, collaboration, and community action, Maidaan Saaf continues to evolve as a multi-dimensional campaign grounded in a commitment to making a meaningful difference.
What’s Maidaan Saaf?
Maidaan Saaf is a campaign by Coca-Cola India and Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, that focuses on promoting responsible plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling at high-footfall cultural or sporting events. It reinforces our broader environmental goals by helping to build stronger waste collection systems, encouraging the reuse of materials like post-consumer PET, and raising awareness about the value of recycling.
Launched in 2023 during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the campaign has since been activated at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as well as India’s iconic festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, Maharashtra; Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha; and most recently, Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Driven by innovation, collaboration, and community action, Maidaan Saaf continues to evolve as a multi-dimensional campaign grounded in a commitment to making a meaningful difference.
What’s Maidaan Saaf?
Maidaan Saaf is a campaign by Coca-Cola India and Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, that focuses on promoting responsible plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling at high-footfall cultural or sporting events. It reinforces our broader environmental goals by helping to build stronger waste collection systems, encouraging the reuse of materials like post-consumer PET, and raising awareness about the value of recycling.
Launched in 2023 during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the campaign has since been activated at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, as well as India’s iconic festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, Maharashtra; Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha; and most recently, Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Driven by innovation, collaboration, and community action, Maidaan Saaf continues to evolve as a multi-dimensional campaign grounded in a commitment to making a meaningful difference.
Our Journey
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup
2023
Maidaan Saaf was launched across 10 stadiums and 48 matches. 10 National Flags and 10 ICC Unity Flags, showcased during national anthem ceremonies, were crafted from thousands of post-consumer recycled PET bottles. Over 1,000 housekeeping volunteers, equipped with jackets made from recycled PET, managed waste, and educated spectators on waste segregation and recycling. Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) were installed at stadiums to enable consumers to recycle PET bottles. After the tournament, benches made from hundreds of tonnes of collected PET waste were installed in public spaces across the 10 host cities, including parks, railway stations, and other civic locations.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
2024
National Flags and ICC Cricket 4 Good Flags, crafted in India from post-consumer recycled PET bottles, used during match opening ceremonies.
Puri, Odisha
2024
Safai saathis managed PET waste collection at key locations across the city during the festival, ensuring that all collected PET waste was sent for recycling.
Ganesh Chaturthi
2024
80 safai saathis, equipped with safety gear, were deployed across three major sites to manage festival waste. General waste was handed over to civic authorities, while PET waste was collected separately and sent for recycling.
Maha Kumbh
2025
21,500 life jackets for boatmen and jackets for cleanliness workers were made from recycled PET. 1,000 changing rooms for women, constructed from multi-layer plastic, were installed along river ghats and featured illustrated comics promoting waste segregation and recycling. Hydration carts, equipped with dustbins, encouraged responsible disposal and spread awareness through on-cart messaging. Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) were deployed to enable consumers to recycle PET bottles.
Puri, Odisha
2025
PET bottle collection and segregation was enabled across key city zones, supported by safai saathis, help desks, awareness campaigns like street plays, 200+ bins, helpdesks, and RVMs during the week-long Rath Yatra celebrations.
Voices of Change
Devyani Rana
Vice President – Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola INSWA
At Coca-Cola India, we believe in the power of innovation to drive meaningful change. These initiatives showcase how recycling can help transform discarded items into valuable resources. Through Maidaan Saaf, we aim to unite millions of visitors in collective action to help reduce waste, reinforcing our commitment to supporting waste management systems that help ensure product packaging has a second life.
Yash Sharma
Founder of Go Rewise & Director at Ganesha Group
We’ve recycled over 10,000 kilograms of plastic waste, giving it a new life by turning it into yarns for jackets that protect the volunteers, waste workers, and boatmen at Maha Kumbh. Our collaboration with Coca-Cola India demonstrates that recycling is more than an environmental effort that creates resource efficiency—it’s a catalyst for creating real impact on communities
Sonal Shukla
Co-founder of Econscious
We take pride in the lasting impact of our Maidaan Saaf campaign at Maha Kumbh 2025. Through collective action, we’ve empowered communities, encouraged responsible behavior, and turned challenges into meaningful opportunities. This campaign has been a testament to what can be achieved when we come together, not just to manage waste but to redefine how it can be used purposefully.
Janwad
A waste worker at Maha Kumbh
At first, I saw this jacket as just a uniform. Then I learned it was made from plastic bottles—waste turned into something useful. It changed how I see plastic, and I plan to teach my children the same
Santosh Kumar Nishat
A boatman at Maha Kumbh
I never thought plastic waste could be turned into something so useful. It gives me peace of mind knowing my passengers are safer
Mamta
A female visitor from Bihar
I was fascinated to learn that these changing rooms were made from recycled plastic. Seeing waste transformed into something so useful made me realize the importance of waste segregation
Maniram
A waste collector at Maha Kumbh
I used to collect plastic waste without knowing it could be reused. Seeing these artworks helped me understand how waste can have value
Mala Goswami
A hydration cart vendor at Maha Kumbh
We tell visitors to drop any plastic bottles here, so they can be recycled. It’s not just about selling water—it’s about keeping the Kumbh clean
News & Updates
Transforming waste into resources:
Coca-Cola’s Maidaan Saaf Campaign
Coca-Cola has taken the initiative to spearhead sustainability initiatives at Maha Kumbh 2025. As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, the company has created and distributed 21,500 recycled PET jackets for sanitation workers, boatmen, and waste management volunteers.
Sustainability takes centre stage at Maha Kumbh 2025 with Coca-Cola India’s
Maidaan Saaf initiatives
The Coca-Cola India and its foundation, Anandana, has collaborated with the PHD Rural Development Foundation (PHDRDF) and Prayagraj Mela Authority (PMA) to spearhead sustainability initiatives at Maha Kumbh 2025. This collaboration focuses on creating a social and environmental impact by championing innovative solutions for waste management and recycling.
Coca-Cola India’s ‘Maidaan Saaf’ initiative
enhances sustainability at Maha Kumbh 2025
Coca-Cola India is contributing to Prayagraj’s economy by creating job opportunities for local vendors, supporting wage workers through waste management initiatives, and driving business growth for food and beverage retailers, while actively empowering small businesses and nurturing regional economic development.
Coca-Cola leads sustainability at Maha Kumbh
with ‘Maidaan Saaf’ Campaign
As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, Coca-Cola India has created and distributed 21,500 jackets made from recycled PET for sanitation workers, boatmen, and waste management volunteers. This includes 10,000 jackets for sanitation workers involved in the Swachh Kumbh initiative, 10,000 life jackets for boatmen across 4,000 boats.
At Coca-Cola, CSR & sustainability go beyond
compliance—they drive real change:
Saloni Goel, Sr Director - ESG Value Creation
Coca-Cola is focused on sustainability and the environment, with crop concerns as one example, and it regularly publishes fertilizer risk disclosures. At Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, the company demonstrated its commitment to nature with various initiatives.
Maha Kumbh 2025: The world’s largest
Gathering turns eco-friendly
The Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj isn’t just about spirituality—it’s a movement toward sustainability. With 450 million pilgrims expected, the ‘Swachh Kumbh’ initiative ensures eco-friendly waste management. Coca-Cola’s ‘Maidaan Saaf’ campaign leads the charge, recycling plastic into life jackets, sanitation worker uniforms, and changing rooms.
