The recovered waste is equivalent to approximately 50 million plastic bottles. If arranged end-to-end, these bottles would extend nearly 12,000 kilometres, exceeding the entire coastline of India.
The milestone was officially announced during a ceremony in Thiruvananthapuram attended by P.K. Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Startups; Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Water Resources; K.M. Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government; Adv. V.V. Rajesh, Mayor of the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram; V. Muraleedharan, Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly representing the Kazhakoottam constituency; Jison John, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Services India; and Jayant Tulsiani, Branch Head India, Allianz Technology SE.
Since its launch in 2022, the four-year initiative has been fully funded by Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India through Corporate Social Responsibility contributions exceeding INR 5 crore, equivalent to EUR 500,000.
Addressing the gathering, P.K. Kunhalikutty said Global Capability Centers in Kerala are not only driving economic growth but also demonstrating responsible corporate citizenship by investing in the communities and ecosystems that support industrial development. He said the milestone sends a strong message to global investors that Kerala's industrial expansion remains closely linked with environmental responsibility.
Minister for Water Resources Adv. Mons Joseph described the Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project as an example of a sustained and systematic environmental initiative and urged corporations, local authorities and citizens to adopt similar models.
K.M. Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government, called upon Panchayats, Municipalities and the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram to strengthen collaboration with initiatives of this nature and replicate the project's success across the state.
Barbara Karuth-Zelle, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Allianz Services and Allianz Technology and Group Chief Operating Officer of Allianz SE, said reaching the 1,000-ton milestone represents Allianz's commitment to protecting biodiversity and ocean health by preventing plastic pollution before it reaches the sea. She stated that the initiative goes beyond waste collection by creating employment opportunities, increasing public awareness and transforming community waste management practices. She added that preventing plastic pollution on a larger scale requires stronger collaboration, systemic solutions and long-term commitment to safeguard ecosystems for future generations.
The Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project operates through low-cost floating barriers known as TrashBooms, which intercept floating plastic waste in rivers and urban waterways before it reaches the ocean. At present, 15 TrashBoom systems are deployed across critical locations, including Thampanoor thodu, Ulloor thodu, Pattom thodu, Thekkinakara Canal, Amayizhanchan thodu, Karamana River, Killi River, Kariyil thodu and Thettiyar Canal, enabling the daily collection and removal of plastic waste.
The project is implemented by Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India in partnership with non-governmental organisations Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation while utilising technology developed by Plastic Fischer, Germany. The initiative also supports local employment through three Material Recovery Facilities located at Injakkal, Venpalavattom and Vallakadavu. Plastic Fischer's team of 23 professionals manages waste recovery, transportation, segregation and shipment operations.
Non-recyclable plastic collected through the project is transported to Material Recovery Facilities in Thiruvananthapuram before being co-processed at the manufacturing plants of Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited in Tamil Nadu. Recyclable plastic is repurposed locally, including for the production of TrashBins that have been installed at Veli Beach.
The project addresses a growing environmental crisis. Globally, nearly nine million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. In Thiruvananthapuram, plastic accounts for 79 percent of debris found along major water banks, while the Karamana and Killi rivers record the region's highest concentrations of microplastics. Without effective intervention, global projections indicate that plastic could outweigh fish in the world's oceans by 2050, underscoring the significance of the initiative.
In 2025, Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India expanded the project by launching community-based preventive waste management programmes in Puthenthope, Kadinamkulam and Veli in collaboration with Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation. The expansion marked a strategic transition from waste interception to behaviour change and early waste management practices by encouraging residents, visitors and local businesses to dispose of waste responsibly.
Employees of Allianz regularly participate alongside partner organisations in beach clean-up campaigns and public awareness programmes. The project is implemented in close coordination with the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram and the Government of Kerala through the Departments of Local Self Government and Water Resources to complement public waste management and environmental conservation efforts.
The achievement demonstrates how Thiruvananthapuram-based Global Capability Centers are delivering measurable environmental outcomes through corporate responsibility. The 15 intervention sites cover key urban waterways surrounding Technopark and major industrial zones, reducing plastic blockages that contribute to urban flooding while helping protect technology infrastructure and improve the city's liveability for global professionals. The initiative has also received endorsement from the United Nations Ocean Decade. Originally launched in Thiruvananthapuram, the model is now being replicated in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kanpur and Varanasi, demonstrating that structured, long-term partnerships can produce scalable environmental impact.
Allianz established its Global Capability Centers as one of the earliest tenants of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. The facilities were among Kerala's first Global Capability Centers and now employ more than 6,600 professionals, making Thiruvananthapuram the company's largest Global Capability Center location worldwide by workforce. Allianz Services serves as the artificial intelligence-powered value accelerator for Allianz Group, one of the world's leading insurance and asset management companies, while Allianz Technology India functions as a key delivery centre supporting Allianz Technology and the Group's global information technology and digital transformation strategy.
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