The law mandates segregation at source. But how can we effectively implement this? For 2 decades, we have been seeing news about different villages shutting down and protesting landfills that are in THEIR backyard. As city residents, the onus on segregation and ensuring recycling now lies on our shoulders. Not only does this stop villages turning into dumping grounds of all kinds of waste, it also aids in creating a circular loop of resources.
As waste management providers, we lead by example and dedicatedly show how segregation can lead to material and resource circularity. We ensure that 5 Key things happen in all our projects.
- Awareness and conversations with people.
Every project of ours, starts here. Conversations. With Managing Committees, with residents, household help, housekeeping staff. When we emphasise on segregation, we handhold through the entire process through consistent awareness sessions. Without these sessions, it is impossible to ensure 100% segregation at source. Simple posters accompanied with conversations make the perfect recipe for 100% segregation. We’ve witnessed children as young as 6 or even younger knowing how to segregate. We keep it that simple. That’s our secret to enabling green communities.
- Composting on site without odour, using minimal energy.
Our senior management composts at home, every day. This means, we know first hand that compost does not smell and that as an organisation we walk the talk. Composting is done with naturally available materials, so no promises on 24-hour composting. This is because we know that this means we are aligned on working with nature. Composting is our core, and 100+ societies in Pune know and benefit from our seamless service.
In some of our rural sites, we are closing the loop much faster – since compost goes back to agricultural land, and nourishes customers with food. A simple formula, that we partake with pride:
Good soil = good, safe produce = healthy people = healthy planet.
- Training, not just our own – but also the ecosystem.
Our staff is trained on the job, and we teach them not just how to load the pits with effective cultures – but also leave the place clean after the job is done. In the process, we also teach housekeeping on how to handle wet waste that comes in without any plastic lining. We train and make them aware on why cleaning the dustbins should be part of a routine affair. In the process, we make the entire wet waste management odour free. Due to the nature of our work, we streamline dry waste and wet waste – we also ensure that garden waste is not mixed with any other waste. So this entire stream can also meet it’s ‘sangam’ i.e. return back to soil.
When we do all of this, there is immense faith on our field staff – for being punctual and for dedication to the job.
- Monitoring
Any project works well, when there are checks and balances. As a practice, we have in-house stringent monitoring to ensure that we don’t default anywhere. We have benchmarks for how wet waste is loaded in pits to how it is managed to how it is harvested. Our systems work like clockwork to ensure no one feels like their time is wasted. Our service is seamless and we aspire to be the best.
- Closing the loop on materials.
Be it organic waste or plastic or e-waste – every resource must be managed so that it doesn’t lead to a dumping ground. So, we have strategic partnerships with Government authorized recyclers and dismantlers. Closing the loop, creating circular loops align with the vision and mission of our organisation.
Our work is symbiotic with many other companies and groups of people. These relationships we treasure. We work in sync with this ecosystem, and jointly, uphold the values of ‘waste management’ together.
