At Asannagar Madanmohan Tarkalankar College in Nadia, sustainability is being practiced in a simple yet powerful way by growing trees without creating plastic waste.

“We wanted to prove that greening can be done differently, without adding to the environmental burden,” said Principal Ashok Kumar Das in a conversation with The Statesman.

This year, the college nurtured 35 saplings using discarded coconut shells instead of plastic packets, rethinking the traditional way of raising young plants. Teachers noticed that several saplings including mango, jamun, guava, ashok, kadam, and bel were naturally sprouting across the campus grounds.

Rather than removing them, the staff carefully transplanted these naturally grown saplings into reused coconut shells, where they were nurtured for months. Once they grew strong enough, the saplings were distributed free of cost to local residents, encouraging the community to participate in expanding green cover.

The idea behind the initiative is both simple and meaningful: grow trees without growing plastic waste. By turning everyday waste like coconut shells into natural planters, the college demonstrates how small, thoughtful actions can reduce environmental impact.

The larger vision goes beyond planting trees it aims to transform waste into living forests and make sustainability visible, practical, and rooted in local communities.