waste pickers

Informal waste pickers are people who work under harsh conditions and put their lives on the line every single day to ensure our comfort. But they are not recognised or appreciated the way they should be. Here’s how this campaign is trying to change that. #Invaluables

Be it end-to-end decentralised waste management solutions like setting up waste handling systems or providing operation and maintenance assistance, Sampurn(e)arth has come a long way in transforming the sector sustainably.

For nearly 20 years, Irappa Naik worked hard and saved money to open a free school for poor children in Maharashtra

Torrential rains have left waste pickers in Mumbai rummaging through garbage in ankle-deep water. And 15-year-old Sanjana's simple gesture is stopping them from being exposed to severe health risks. You are our hero, Sanjana!

"We felt that their work was phenomenal, and yet, they remained invisible.”

India, a country of 1.3 billion people and obvious high use of plastic, is not one among the top ten plastic polluters in the world!

Waste-pickers face an uphill task in gaining recognition for their important work. A Pune-based waste-pickers’ cooperative hopes to change the apathy faced by these workers.

Daniela Florentina Gheorghe a 30-year-old professional born in Romania, Eastern Europe has lived in India for almost five years now. She has worked for social good in five states including Rajasthan, Assam, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP), a union of scrap collectors started by Dr Baba Adhav in 1993, has now become a force much larger than just a collection of waste pickers, mostly women. It serves as a platform for voicing grievances and as a medium for pushing developmental programmes to this highly marginalised segment of the society. From financial support, education and insurance facilities to intangibles like dignity of labour and quality of life, read how a collective can change lives.