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‘Adwait’ to help temples across US go plastic free
The Donors Collective's new program addresses plastic waste in faith communities.
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Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 01, Aug 2025
- 23:55 EDT
- 20
The initiative comes in response to the mounting problem of single-use plastics generated by religious institutions. / The Donors Collective
The Donors Collective has launched Adwait, a nationwide initiative aimed at helping temples across the United States cut down on plastic waste and adopt more environmentally sustainable practices. The program was announced earlier this week and is grounded in the Vedantic idea of Advaita, or non-duality, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life.
The initiative comes in response to the mounting problem of single-use plastics generated by religious institutions. With over 350,000 congregations in the U.S.—many of which host regular community events—temples and other places of worship contribute significantly to the country’s plastic waste problem. Disposable plates, cutlery, cups, and PET water bottles are commonly used and discarded, adding thousands of tons of waste to landfills each year.
In its first phase, Adwait will provide matching donations to temples that replace single-use items with reusable alternatives such as stainless steel cups and plates. Participating temples will be expected to eliminate plastic beverage containers and other disposable food service items, including those with plastic linings.
“We have seen how temples can inspire not just spiritual growth, but societal transformation,” said Pankaj Sharma, chief donor officer at Donors Collective. “The principle of Adwait tells us that everything is interconnected—our daily choices matter for the entire web of life.”
He added, “Through this initiative, we’re inviting faith communities to lead by example, becoming beacons of sustainability and environmental responsibility.”
Along with financial assistance, Donors Collective plans to offer a range of services to support temples in embedding sustainability into their broader operations. This includes guidance on fundraising strategies tailored to environmentally conscious donors, one-on-one advising for integrating eco-conscious planning into temple management, and resources to help leaders mobilize community members around environmental action.
Temples participating in the program will also receive help in planning for long-term outcomes. This includes support for designing and scaling projects with measurable environmental, social, and spiritual impact.
The organization says the goal is not only to reduce waste but to empower religious institutions to become centers of environmental leadership. By appealing to core spiritual values such as unity, compassion, and responsibility, Donors Collective hopes to encourage more temples to rethink their role in sustainability.
The initiative is being rolled out gradually, with priority given to temples ready to commit to eliminating specific categories of plastic waste. Further phases may expand to include other religious communities.
The Donors Collective did not provide a timeline for the full rollout but said it is already in talks with several temples interested in participating.
The platform also briefly acknowledged other upcoming programs focused on interfaith collaboration, climate education, and community resilience. All of them, like Adwait, are designed to align spiritual traditions with practical environmental action.
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