Articles by Bhuvana Raj

Bhuvana Raj is an IT professional turned environmentalist, who devotes her time to social work. She is a sustainability preacher, zero waste consultant and climate educator. She is the co-founder of SIMPLE, a zero-waste initiative. She is an ecotour curator, conducting the ‘Neithal Trail’ to create awareness on coastal ecosystems.

It’s SIMPLE: How a community in Chennai is striving to become zero-waste

by May 19, 2025

For over seven years, I have lived in a gated community in Thalambur, located behind Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai’s IT Corridor. This rapidly developing suburban area enjoys proximity to some of the city’s best infrastructure, including high-rise buildings and world-class offices. However, like many other suburban neighbourhoods in the city, the local administration lacks an efficient solid waste management system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed that mixed waste collected from communities was indiscriminately dumped near water bodies or on vacant land. This practice contributes to land, groundwater, and air pollution while releasing harmful greenhouse gases like methane, which contribute…

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