At Bengaluru’s first Dry Waste Collection Centre (DWCC) in Domlur, heaps of waste in segregated piles dominate the landscape. Drivers of collection vehicles and waste pickers work through the piles, segregating waste in challenging conditions. These centres were established to promote decentralised waste management and improve the livelihood of waste workers. Yet, a decade later, waste pickers continue to struggle without formal employment status, volatile resale prices for recyclable waste, a shortage of quality waste and fragile job security. Workers at the Domlur DWCC come from various backgrounds. For some, waste picking is a generational occupation — A Krishna, the…
Read moreArticles by Michelle Shajan
Michelle Shajan is pursuing a Master’s in Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics. She holds an Economics degree from Azim Premji University, where she explored development, gender, and labour economics. Michelle is passionate about data-driven research and aims to address pressing social and economic challenges through rigorous analysis.