Henkel India Turns PoP Idols into School Furniture
27 Jan 2026 CW Team
Henkel India, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai – Joy of Giving and with support from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), has strengthened environmental restoration through a circular reuse initiative under Project HARMONY. The programme focuses on converting materials from sacred traditions into durable community assets, aligning sustainability with social impact.
As part of the initiative, materials collected after Ganesh Visarjan 2025 at Nerul were responsibly diverted from land and water bodies and processed at an authorised recycling facility with on-ground support from NMMC officials. Over 1,000 kg of Plaster of Paris (PoP) was recycled and repurposed into 300 study tables for students at an NMMC school in Digha, helping reduce pollution while creating long-lasting educational infrastructure.
Launched in 2024, ‘Henkel and Rotary: Mother Nature & You’, known as Project HARMONY, is Henkel India’s flagship environmental CSR initiative. Built on collaboration and employee volunteering, the programme integrates corporate expertise, civic participation and sustainability partners to deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes.
The PoP recycling initiative was implemented in collaboration with Dr Binish Desai through Pushpam and NuoTerra, using proprietary PoP recycling technology. Beach Please India supported material collection through its volunteer network. The reclaimed material was processed into learning assets through Pushpam’s women-led manufacturing, with quality oversight by NuoTerra, ensuring environmental responsibility while respecting cultural sensitivities.
The distribution ceremony was held on 22 January 2026 at Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Vidyalaya, Rabale, coinciding with Ganesh Jayanti, symbolising the transformation of devotion into purpose-driven educational support.