Trash solution in Bengaluru with rag-pickers involved

Sumangala, Bengaluru

MOST cities in India struggle to cope with their waste, but Bengaluru has been putting in place a solution that holds out hope for the rest of the country. A collaboration between the municipal corporation and collectives of waste-pickers with the help of an NGO has made it possible to segregate recyclables in several wards every day so that less trash reaches landfills.

Sky-high trash mountains are an eyesore in rapidly growing cities like Delhi and Gurugram. From segregation to disposal the game gets tougher with rapid urbanization. No landfill is big enough and soon new dumping sites are needed. Gurugram and Delhi are examples of how tricky the problem can become.

Bengaluru’s strategy has been to whittle down the amount of trash it has to handle. The city generates 5,000 tonnes of solid waste every day. In 2017, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Hasiru Dala or Green Force, and waste-pickers — making them responsible for  collecting dry waste, sorting it, segregating it, selling it and thereby reducing the waste that makes its way to landfills.

Dry waste collection centres (DWCCs) have been set up by the BBMP where dry waste is collected and segregated into reusable and recyclable waste. Hasiru Dala has trained waste-pickers to manage 33 DWCCs. The city has 225 wards.

The NGO was registered in 2013 in Bengaluru. “That’s the time citizens started talking about waste management and segregation. But nobody talked about waste-pickers,” says Nalini Shekhar, executive director and co-founder of Hasiru Dala. “Whichever city is not performing on waste management, its saviours are the waste-pickers.”

The quantity of mixed waste heading to landfills has reduced, affirms a BBMP official from the Mahadevapura zone. “Wherever DWCCs are operating efficiently, waste segregation is happening ,” he says.

The Residents Welfare Association (RWA) at Block 13 of JP Nagar 3rd Phase has been working with the DWCC, BBMP and Hasiru Dala for the past five years. Aparna Kumar, a member of the RWA, says they organized a door-to-door awareness campaign and even went to local schools to underline the importance of segregation.

Three times a week, a waste collection van collects all dry waste from residents and brings it to the DWCC. The waste-pickers have a calendar planner. Each ward has been divided into blocks.

“If some residents do not segregate their waste properly, the dry waste collector does not take it. They inform us, and we speak to the residents and ensure they segregate properly the next time,” says Aparna Kumar. 

“We also make sure residents give due respect and call the waste collectors by their names. You know, most of the time, people call out to them derisively, ‘Kachrawali, come here’,” says Shweta Urs, a member of the Women of Wisdom, a group that acts as a bridge between residents of Blocks 1 to 9.

“We must understand that they are helping us by taking our waste and keeping our surroundings clean and hygienic. They are doing dignified work. If all the wards have their own DWCC, the quantity of mixed waste going to landfills will reduce.” 

The net result is that her block is clean without any spots where people would randomly throw bags of mixed garbage under cover of darkness.

 

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

It has been a difficult journey for Hasiru Dala. Putting a waste management system in place with waste-pickers as its lynchpin required meticulous planning and continuous follow-up with BBMP officials, corporators, and ward members. Hasiru Dala also had to carry out extensive information, education and awareness campaigns among residents and implement intensive training sessions for waste-pickers.

Nalini Shekhar with waste-pickers who have been trained and given identity cards by the civic body

“The biggest challenge we faced was organizing waste-pickers and building trust. Through conversations and surveys, we gradually engaged with them. We provided capacity-building programmes and leadership training to help them become operators of DWCCs,” says Shekhar.

The second challenge was changing the attitude of residents towards waste-pickers who were perceived as poor and dirty. “Most of them are from the Dalit and other underprivileged communities. We engaged intensely with the RWAs, colleges, and civil society organizations. We facilitated dialogues that have slowly changed this perception. People now view waste collectors as silent environmentalists and robust entrepreneurs, transforming waste into valuable commodities.”

Before starting, they conducted a detailed survey of waste-pickers’ work patterns and socio-economic status.

They realized early on the need for policy changes to empower waste-pickers. The first step they took was to get them occupational identity cards under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The organization filed a PIL and fought a Lok Adalat case to make this happen.

Karnataka’s Urban Solid Waste Management policy of 2020 clearly states that a “ULB (Urban Local Body) can thereafter (after the survey and identification) issue occupational identification cards either through authorized officers of ULB/NULM City Livelihood Centres and NRLM to waste pickers and other informal waste workers above 18 years of age”.

The identification cards validate that they are city residents. These cards act as official identification and can be used as proof of address/identity when applying for other social security benefits. This also allows waste-pickers access to public spaces and recognizes their work for the city. Around 11,380 such cards have been issued.  

“This policy intervention was much needed,” says Shekhar. “Later, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) department in Karnataka directed all gram panchayats to issue occupational identity cards to waste collectors. Karnataka is the only state that has implemented this.” 

Hasiru Dala has slowly extended its operations to other districts of Karnataka, including Mysuru, Mangaluru, Tumakuru, Hubbali-Dharwad, Davanagere, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu (Coorg), Chikkaballapura, and the cities of Coimbatore, Trichy, and Rajahmundry.

 

COOPERATIVE MODEL

Under the PPP, the BBMP has to provide space and buildings for the DWCC with electricity, toilets, drinking water, and other infrastructure facilities for the segregation process. However, in most DWCCs, BBMP only provides space and pays half the cost of vehicle charges for waste collection. Each DWCC has two to three dry waste collection vans with a driver and a helper.  

An SHG of waste-pickers is formed in each DWCC. The operator of the  DWCC runs it with the SHG, along with a driver and a helper.  Their salaries are paid by the operator.

Hasiru Dala, as a resource organization, helps form the SHG and handholds the operator in managing the DWCC. The centre is open from 10 am to 6 pm. A weekly meeting is organized and each member contributes Rs 100-150 towards a common pool. If any member requires a loan they can tap into this amount. The SHG at JP Nagar 3rd Phase 177 DWCC has a Rs 50,000 deposit in the bank. 

“We first carried out an awareness programme with residents, informing them of the need to separate dry waste and wet waste at home and keep it in separate bins,” says Chinnaiah, manager of the DWCC programme at Hasiru Dala. “Once awareness levels improved, residents began to get involved and the quality and quantity of segregation improved.” 

All dry waste is sorted into a minimum of five categories — recyclable, non-recyclable, bulky waste, hazardous domestic and e-waste. The recyclable waste is further classified into categories and sorted accordingly. BBMP is responsible for taking back mixed waste, e-waste, sanitary waste and medical waste. 

Hasiru Dala identifies the waste-pickers and supports BBMP in issuing identification cards. It provides training and PPE (personal protective equipment) such as gloves, green overcoats, handwash and so on to each DWCC. It also offers technical support for data entry and supports waste-pickers in availing of social benefit schemes. There are financial literacy programmes for the waste-pickers too.

 

TRASH TO CASH

Hasiru Dala’s efforts have converted some of the operators of DWCCs into entrepreneurs.  Two of them, who used to run small scrap shops, increased their income by becoming DWCC operators and have spoken at global forums on waste management.

Waste-pickers say they earn a steady income and are treated with dignity by residents

K. Kumuda, who runs the DWCC in JP Nagar 3rd Phase, Ward 177, was honoured in February 2024 with the Most Inspiring Woman Entrepreneur award by the Ministry of Textiles and the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) for collecting and recycling textile waste. She led an initiative by Hasiru Dala called Hasiru Batte, or Green Cloth,  to handle discarded clothes. Textile waste was collected, segregated and sent to processors  to channel it into the circular economy. 

Last year, Kumuda’s DWCC caught fire but she bounced back quickly. She collected money from residents, took a bank loan, and rebuilt the DWCC in two months. 

Kumuda's turnover, by selling segregated waste, is Rs 3-4 lakh per month. After paying salaries to the waste collectors and driver, the rent for the centre, and other expenditures, she is left with a profit of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month. Each waste collector is paid Rs 500 to Rs 700 per day, depending on their experience.

Kumuda’s grouse is that in the past three months the rates for plastic and paper waste have declined sharply. She says she is now running at a loss and managing the centre by dipping into her savings. Two tonnes of dry waste yield only one tonne of saleable recyclable waste. Half of it or one tonne will be mixed waste which the BBMP takes  back.    

Kumuda says there is more awareness among residents now about segregating dry and wet waste. Medical waste is a challenge, though. “Some people keep the diapers of kids and elderly people in the middle of the dry waste. We don’t realize it while collecting their waste. We come to know only during segregation.”  

Ten to 12 women are part of Kumuda’s SHG. Laxmamma, an SHG member, recalls working as a waste-picker as a child with her mother.

“Dogs would chase us and people would look down on us. They would say, ‘You are a rag-picker, stand away. You smell bad.’ The rainy season made it worse, with everything wet and filthy. Some days I earned Rs 300 and some days just Rs 100. Working at this centre with an ID card, I earn a steady Rs 500 per day for eight hours of work. I finally have a stable income and dignity.” 

Another SHG member, Leelavathi, says, “Every day, I would wake up early, head out with my bag at 5 am, and collect waste on the roadside until noon. My shoulders, legs, and back constantly ached. I was barely managing my household with the little income I earned. I resigned myself to a life of unrelenting hardship and indignity, believing it was my fate. Then, I was invited to join this team. Instead of collecting waste on the streets, I was given the job of sorting it. I cared for my family through rag-picking, and now my children are settled. I have a steady income and I can support myself with dignity.”

Leelavathi never went to school. “Now I know how to sign my name. I have a bank account. I proudly wear this green overcoat, have an ID card, and lead a dignified work life.”

Indumathi, another waste entrepreneur, has been running two DWCCs. One is in Bellandur Ward 150 and the other covers Wards 88 and 52. As a child, Indumathi worked as a labourer in a garment factory. She got married and raised two children while juggling multiple jobs. After losing her debt-ridden husband, she started working as a waste-picker and set up a small scrap shop.

During a survey of waste-pickers, a Hasiru Dala coordinator visited her shop and offered her the opportunity of operating a DWCC. Initially hesitant, Indumathi joined and took part in capacity-building and upskilling programmes, including leadership development and communication training.

Indumathi says her turnover used to be around Rs15 lakh per month. After meeting all her expenses like paying salaries to her waste collectors, drivers, rent, and so on, she used to be left with a profit of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per month. But, for the past three months, she has been facing a monthly loss of around Rs   80,000 to Rs 90,000 and is struggling to keep her centre operational.

“The rates of all types of recyclable plastic, paper and cardboard have drastically decreased. I have stock in my centres but very little market demand. For the first time I took an advance from one of my vendors. That was not enough so  I took a bank loan. Hasiru Dala helped me with the loan procedure,” she says.

She is hopeful of receiving a subsidy from the government. “Bank officials will tell me the subsidy amount in a few days," she says.   

Indumathi took part in the International Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting organized by the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) and held in Uruguay as the sole Asian representative. It was agreed that waste-pickers would be included in discussions and their voices heard.

She also represented Asia at the second meeting of the UNEA in Paris from May 29 to June 2 this year. “In Paris, we discussed the need to promote recyclable plastic and ban single-use plastic. Not all plastics can be recycled, and many countries are unaware of waste-pickers’ work,” Indumathi explained.

Reflecting on her journey from being a waste-picker to a waste entrepreneur and an international advocate, she says, “It was possible because Hasiru Dala conducted so many capacity-building programmes for us.”

Shekhar is modest about her organization’s work. “Even if Hasiru Dala is no longer there, a robust policy framework will allow DWCCs to operate efficiently, and waste collectors can continue their work without inhibition. We don’t want Hasiru Dala to become a unicorn; we want the concept of Hasiru Dala to become a unicorn.”