Waste is an ever increasing problem right? I’ve been fortunate to meet a few women who are leading the pack of a silent waste revolution. Each of them have been walking the talk, and leading the transition to a Zero Waste Future. Their work and vision in this space is absolutely inspiring.

Upcycling through the future: Sonali and Dhara

You say the word Upcycle, and couple it with rethinking how spaces look – Dhara and Sonali are the first two people who come to my mind. Studio Alternatives, their company stands for rethinking of waste – where they creatively combine reusing coupled with design elements. The workshop situated near Khed Shivapur is a delight to walk through. Every corner of the studio radiates unique concepts, each one standing out thanks to the detailing and fine quality work. The studio doubles up as a workshop, which adds to the design consultancy they provide. A key vertical here is to set up shipping containers apart from the turnkey projects, products, furniture, accessories, artifacts, installations and customised space-making elements. The versatility of the used shipping container, coupled with its structural strength, provides an ideal framework for executing strong and secure housing and accommodation spaces.

Sonali says, ‘We love upcycling. Utilising various types of discarded materials to create desirable objects has been our passion. The studio’s symbiotic connections with scrap dealers, our ability to maintain a large and varied sample-scrap collection provide an able framework for a continuous experimentation with materials and tools. Our problem-solving abilities and a multi-skilled team help us in creating innovative and successful solutions.‘

You can follow them on their instagram page to connect with Dhara and Sonali.

Waste as resource, and not as an after-thought : Aditi Deodhar

Aditi Deodhar, well known to her connection with Jeevitnadi and Brown Leaves initiative is now working on a unique project – Mission City Chakra.

Brown Leaf started in 2016, with a vision that no dry leaves should be burnt in India. Aditi was irked with the issue where dry leaves are known to be a resource, and while on the hand burning posed a bigger problem. Deep diving into this, she understood the supply-demand challenge. People who have surplus leaves and those who don’t have any leaves. Bridging this together, rose the idea of Brown Leaf Community. The digital community spans on WhatsApp and Facebook enabling ‘leaf exhanges’. Composting and Mulching are two beautiful connections from Brown Leaf network. Aditi’s efforts to prevent Brown Leaves from being burnt are beautifully captured through this video series.

Aditi says, ‘What we are basically doing is re-establishing that cyclic process that happens in nature. Ultimately through mulching, leaves go back to soil – as it happens in the natural landscape. We modify the process a bit in the urban context.’

Waste being dumped in river bodies are stressors. This is something Aditi and many citizens worked together under the aegis of Jeevitnadi. Aditi is a founder Director of Jeevitnadi, and she shares her experience of how clean river stretch can be a deterrent to people from dumping their waste. That’s when she thought ‘Instead of creating waste, and finding how to manage it – can we look at reducing it’. ‘Refuse and Reduce’ are preventive measures. Pause and Think is what is needed. Mission City Chakra focuses on collaborating with policy makers. For example, school principals are a policy implementer in their schools. They are powerful to influence 500-1000 families.‘

In the first phase, they are working closely with 200 schools. Three action points – eliminate use of plastic tiffin boxes, plastic water bottles and laminated/plastic brown paper. These three single acts, can be implemented right at the start with alternatives like steel tiffin box, steel bottle water. Phasing these over a period of 3 years, students transition realistically in their lifetime. Aditi and her team is also working on reaching out to corporates – who can look at source reduction before they take into consideration recycling.

We don’t have to manage waste alone : Purnima Joshi

Purnima Joshi’s warm smile reminds me often that it is with compassion and consistency that we can solve the waste problem. Purnima has been instrumental in creating a waste momentum in Kalyani Nagar area of Pune along with several other active citizens. Active citizens play a key role in how we can manage our waste. Purnima shares, ‘It is when volunteering for CSR activities through the organisation I worked with, I realised I loved the experience. The communications tools worked well in the community which I used in activities I organised as part of the local residents body – an identity, leading by example, a set of values to work by, open, transparent communication, regular meetings, a volunteers guide which included a set of relevant contact numbers for every citizen to use to get any issue redressed. The annual felicitation of safai karmacharis, working with all government departments, involving corporates in local community efforts, encouraging students volunteering, all helped in building visibility. About 12 years ago we started with collection of a growing e-waste menace from residents in Kalyani Nagar which was a first.‘

Then we added plastic collection eight years ago, and then thermocole/EPS which was being stored in an open plot. When we were asked to remove the thermocole, and move it elsewhere, we sought the support of the local corporator and Head of SWM, PMC. And then pushed for a permanent recycling centre, which was finally launched in 2019. It’s a team effort and each one plays an important role in the success of the Resource Recycling Centre, and that includes the residents who are also proud of the RRC, and store their clean dry segregated waste in their homes and deposit at the RRC every Saturday morning.’

While RRC was doing what it needed to do, it bought another challenge for those who had usable things – and needed a solution. A series of physical events similar to garage sales, morphed to becoming hyperlocal swap communities through WhatsApp in 25 areas in Pune. This is now scaled up in 15 other cities. Swap helps people declutter, as well as get good products and items at highly affordable prices, while hundreds of founding members identify closely with the Swap vision of boosting sustainable lifestyles, reducing landfills,
promoting a circular economy, embracing inclusiveness and the warm bonds of friendship that emerge as a result of this exchange.
Those of you know are interested in connecting on RRR/SWAP, please connect with, Punam Dharkar: 9890244904. Purnima Joshi: 9850589480

Composting – harvesting black gold for three decades – Manjushree Tadvalkar

Wet waste, belongs to soil. We’ve all heard this one before. One of the oldest names in the composting space – Manjushree Tadvalkar, a soil biologist who has been working on this for over three decades. Years of working in organic farming and urban waste, she has been one of the first few who developed bio-cultures for odour free composting. As Managing Director of Know How Foundation INORA, Manjushree Tadvalkar is a leader of another league. Thirty years ago, she was working on Vermi-Technology and that was her starting point. While the love for earthworms and soil biodiversity is evident, the research that she has undertaken in organics management is even more interesting.

Understanding farmers’ requirement for crop nutrition to sale of produce – she has seen it all. So she understands that nutrition in soil plays a very important role. Human Health and Soil Health are also inter-related. This is a connection she made years ago. Plenty of new research is now being published on this topic. While top soil is Manjushree Ma’am’s favourite topic, wet waste is another topic close to heart. She’s conducted many experiments to optimise space required for composting, use of biocultures and making this technology affordable. The result of such hard work shows when Pune’s 400 tonnes/day of wet waste is composted instead of being sent to landfill thanks to the technology she and team have developed.

Expanding team and building leadership in this space is no easy feat. From handholding on composting to nurturing plants in gardens to supporting farmers – the team does it all. Her organisation INORA can be visited here, and be reached on 08956220341.

Bringing People together, for long term behaviour change – Anuja Bali

Anuja is a concerned citizen, who believes that the first and best climate action is what each of us can do from home. This led her to create a platform – MyWasteMyResponsibility. MWMR is a collective of concerned citizens, resource persons and experts from waste management and sustainability domains. Anuja shares, ‘We discuss problems, practical solutions, sustainable alternatives and create awareness for climate action. I believe waste management is the first and best climate action every individual can do starting from home. We want to drive behavior change.‘

Bringing focus back to individuals, as a problem and looking at collective solutions is the larger motto of MWMR. Anuja’s story goes back to 2019, when she returned from US and was shocked to see Pune flooded. She shares further,’It was a rude welcome and our children got worried if we had made the correct decision to move back to a dirty place. That experience sowed the seed for changing poison into medicine and there began my determination to make our surroundings clean, litter free and create awareness about zero waste lifestyle.’ That, and her digital Jagruti Yatra in 2020, where she met several grassroots organisations inspired her to start MWMR. Spanning over 30 cities, members discuss, debate and share solutions that have been working for them.

Anuja has been documenting and discussing solutions that are on ground in her WWW series – Wednesdays for Waste Warriors. You can check them on the YouTube channel. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn, FaceBook group or WhatsApp her on 8928263631

Helping Individuals switch to Zero Waste : Sunita Gokhale

Not generating trash is important, but one question that almost everyone has – Where are the alternatives?

Sunita Gokhale, the zero waste enterprenuer is doing just that. Sunita’s joy to enable Zero Waste is infectious. From composting to helping people walk the talk – she does all of that with a huge smile! Her store, very aptly named Earthing – has a treasure trove of replacements. From steel straws to cloth diapers to reusable sanitary pads to Bioenzymes – you name it. There’s a little something for everyone. Over 300+ brands find home in this cosy store at Kothrud.

Anytime you walk in, you will definitely have a delightful conversation with her on the many switches you can make. There’s something for everyone at this store. From subscription packs on zero waste essentials to composting workshops – Earthing anchors people from different walks of life to embark their zero-waste journey. You can connect with Sunita on 86001 00256 and visit her store here

I’ve been fortunate to be friends, colleagues with some of these inspiring women. There are many more women in waste – who have turned the situation around thanks to their kindred spirit. To them, and many others – thank you for keeping our planet cool, fun and healthy. Wishing everyone celebrating, a Happy Women’s Day!