In a world quick to discard, Pritu Chaudhary chose to reclaim. She began a quiet revolution—recycling every crumpled sheet of paper and turning waste into worth. Through her Pune-based NGO, Little Leaf, she has repurposed more than 100,000 kilograms of waste paper into over 13,000 notebooks for underprivileged children.Born and raised in Varanasi, 43-year-old Pritu’s understanding of waste began early. Her father, a chartered accountant, kept stacks of old ledgers and confidential documents that couldn’t be given to scrap dealers for fear of data misuse.“I remember walking into his office and seeing bundles of paper locked away for years,” she recalls. “It always struck me as strange that something so abundant could have no further purpose.”That thought stayed with her. After completing her graduation in commerce, she married and settled in Pune. She has built a life with her husband and raised two daughters here.Even with her husband’s business she noticed the same pattern—heaps of waste paper piling up in offices, schools, and printing presses. “That’s when I decided to act,” she says. “I wanted to find a way to recycle these papers into something that would give back to society.”What began as a modest experiment slowly grew into a structured effort. Pritu founded Little Leaf, an NGO dedicated to collecting all kinds of paper waste—from households, schools, offices, and corporate setups—and transforming it into fresh notebooks. These notebooks are distributed free of cost to children in municipal and low-income schools across Pune and Varanasi.Story continues below this ad Pritu founded Little Leaf, an NGO dedicated to collecting all kinds of paper waste and transforming it into fresh notebooks. (Express Photo)“For underprivileged children, a notebook can make the difference between staying in school and dropping out,” she says.The impact has been steady and significant. Through partnerships with institutions such as GMI Girls School and PMC School, Dhovawadi, her team ensures that every notebook reaches a child who truly needs it.Awareness sessions on recycling and sustainabilityPritu is also an active member of the Inner Wheel Club, through which she has found both support and outreach opportunities. Together, they conduct awareness sessions on recycling and sustainability, urging citizens to think twice before discarding paper.“The biggest change we need is in mindset,” she says. “We must see waste as something useful. It can have a second life—if we give it one.”Story continues below this adBalancing her responsibilities as a homemaker while dedicating herself to Little Leaf’s mission hasn’t been easy. With both her daughters now pursuing higher education, Pritu finds herself with more time to devote to the cause.Yet, managing the logistics of collection, transportation, and storage remains challenging, she says. “Convincing offices to part with confidential papers, finding ethical recycling partners, arranging volunteers—it has all been quite a task.” Through partnerships with institutions such as GMI Girls School and PMC School, Dhovawadi, Chaudhary’s team ensures that every notebook reaches a child who truly needs it. (Express Photo)Chaudhary has extended waste management beyond paper now. Her NGO collects discarded garments and contributes them to recycling facilities in Panipat. “In cities today, textile waste has become an escalating concern. With rapidly shifting fashion trends and evolving preferences, clothes have become quick disposable commodities,” she observes.“We frequently discard clothes that remain reusable. If every household commits to recycling or donating instead of discarding, the difference would be immense—for the environment as well as for maximising resource efficiency.”Story continues below this adAt these Panipat facilities, clothes are sorted, sanitised, and repurposed. They are converted into yarn or industrial cleaning cloths; synthetic materials are processed into filling for quilts and cushions; and some pieces are upcycled into tote bags or mats through partnerships with local women’s groups.“Nothing truly goes to waste—every piece of cloth can serve a purpose. It’s simply a matter of awareness and intent,” Pritu emphasises. “Sustainability cannot stop at paper. Our future depends on how conscientiously we handle every form of waste today.”Neha Rathod is an intern with The Indian Express.