Waste Management

Where do the items in our homes come from, and what happens after we discard them? Let’s take a plastic bottle. Water, cola, buttermilk, and caffeinated drinks — all this comes in PET bottles. Indians collectively throw out 38,00,000 kg worth of PET bottles daily. Where does a plastic bottle come from? Oil, gas, and other fossil fuels are processed into polymers. Polymer pellets are shipped to factories where a multi-step process turns them into bottles. These bottles are shipped to other factories to be filled and labelled. These bottles go to warehouses, wholesalers, and then retailers.  Crude oil from…

Clothing waste is not generated every day, yet it remains a part of Chennai’s waste stream. As the city lacks disposal information and dedicated collection systems, clothing waste enters the mixed waste channels. Community-led initiatives such as that by the Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) highlight the gaps in the system and the potential of decentralised collection, reuse, repurposing, upcycling and recycling. Lack of a sustainable system to manage cloth waste Currently, there is no system for unusable cloth collection and no information for the public on how to dispose of clothes. Most unusable clothes, especially inner garments, are…

When Lokayukta officials conducted a surprise inspection of Gottigere, Anjanapura, and JP Nagar 9th Phase in early April 2026, they found what residents of these neighbourhoods already knew: large heaps of uncollected garbage piled along roadsides, a city generating 5,000–6,000 tonnes of solid waste every day and visibly failing to manage it. Lokayukta Justice BS Patil summoned the Chief Operating Officer and senior officials of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), directed them to appear for a hearing, and asked for a detailed report on the lapses and remedial measures. It is a familiar script. Inspection. Summons. Report. Repeat. Howoever,…

On the last Sunday of every month, a lane in Mumbai's Shivaji Park becomes a collection point for dry waste. Residents bring paper, plastic, glass, e-waste, clothes, books and household items for recycling, reuse and upcycling. Volunteers receive, weigh and sort every donation before it is sent to the appropriate recycler or organisation. What began with six volunteers and 450 grams of plastic has grown into a community initiative attracting participants from across Mumbai. From Covid volunteers to community dry waste recyclers The origins of the initiative lie in an entirely different crisis. During the Covid-19 pandemic, residents of Madhli…

The consequences of poor waste management are visible across communities near our own in Chennai. In Tiruvanchery, waste dumped and burnt close to residential areas has caused breathing difficulties, mosquito nuisance, and raised concerns about groundwater contamination. Such conditions don’t begin at dumping grounds alone; they start at home, when recyclable, biodegradable, and non-recyclable materials are discarded together.   For many years, the approach has been standard: collect mixed household waste and transport it to dumping yards. While this may appear convenient, it is neither sustainable nor environmentally responsible. In our own community of SSM Nagar, Perungaluthur, only about 50% of…

Mahesh* owns a small paan and beedi shop near 90 Feet Road. His family has lived in Mumbai’s Dharavi for 50 years. Over the years, they added additional storeys above their home, a common practice in Mumbai's slums. The rent from these upper floors helps Mahesh care for his ageing parents. Redevelopment would cost him both his shop premises and this vital supplementary income. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has given the go-ahead for the bioremediation of solid waste at the Deonar dumping yard to free the plot for housing “ineligible” residents (those lacking documentation) of the Dharavi…

Across Bengaluru, it is common to see abandoned photos and idols of deities left under sacred trees, near parks, or outside temples. Does this sight disturb you? It bothered us deeply to see these divine symbols—once the centre of our homes—left to become soiled, discoloured, and neglected. What is even more distressing is that most of these items eventually end up in landfills. We felt that this needed to change. Such items deserve a respectful farewell, and the needless waste of valuable resources must come to an end. So, what's the solution? The journey Our journey began with a pilot…

On a Friday mid-morning in Bhim Nagar, a hillside settlement in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, a small community room is abuzz with activity. Families stream in, some with children in tow, all carrying sacks filled with dry waste. Volunteers weigh the waste and make a note of the quantity. This bustling scene is part of a waste segregation initiative that Green Communities Foundation (GCF), a non-profit organisation working in sustainable waste management, is running in partnership with the community.   The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is responsible for providing solid waste management services in Bhim Nagar, an informal settlement. However, there are major…

Ten years ago, in 2016, SwachaGraha began with a simple yet powerful invitation: “Start a green spot.” It started as a call to action for individuals, families, and neighbourhoods to look at waste differently, not as garbage, but as a resource: one compost bin, one garden, and one shared meal at a time, to turn everyday habits into acts of care for the planet. Compost: The first 'green spot' begins right in your kitchen, where vegetable peels and food scraps are transformed into nutrient-rich compost. Grow: The second 'green spot' takes root in your garden, balcony, or terrace, where that…

With air pollution levels hovering between the 'poor' and 'severe' categories, Delhi has been gasping for breath. The air quality has continued to deteriorate, with the capital recording an AQI of 372 on December 2nd, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. So, is the winter mist coupled with the vehicular pollution only to blame? The reality is more complex than that. Dust from construction activity and malba or construction and demolition (C&D) waste contribute significantly to air pollution in Delhi. Moreover, managing this waste is a huge challenge for the city's civic administration, and the majority of C&D waste…