The Bangla Sahib Gurudwara has banned use of all types of plastic items within the shrine complex to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The Gurudwara committee has also completely shifted to clean piped natural gas for preparing 'langar' for around 35,000 people daily and has further completely banned use of wood and charcoal.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), said that the biggest heritage Sikh shrine situated in the heart of national capital has banned disposable plates, glasses, spoons, thermocol cup-plates and other single-use plastics, and switched to steel utensils for serving water and 'langar' (community meal) to devotees, Sirsa said.

“On an average, around 5,000 poly bags and thermocol cup-plates were used every day to distribute prasad, fruits and other items to devotees. Now these have been replaced with eco-friendly jute bags and dona-pattal (leaf bowls and plates) since October 2,” he said.

The DSGMC has set up a recycling plant capable of handling two tonnes of flower and 'lanagar' waste and dry leaves on a daily basis. The organic waste is converted into manure and vermicompost.

The fully automatic plant has been commissioned on an experimental basis at present to experiment with the zero-waste model and will be commissioned on full scale during current month, Sirsa said.

He further said that all the open spaces in gurdwara complex will be made green by planting eco friendly saplings. “Solar system has been installed to check carbon emission and provide clean energy besides heating etc in the gurdwara complex.

Further, the committee has also launched a massive awareness drive to educate and awaken visiting devotees to maintain hygiene, cleanliness etc,” he added.