From margins to mainstream: Waste picker-led circularity model expands to 12 Indian cities

By A Representative

In a groundbreaking development that aligns environmental action with social equity, a textile waste recycling initiative led by informal waste workers in Bengaluru has scaled from a local pilot to a national model. The project, part of the broader Saamuhika Shakti programme, is now being replicated in 12 cities across India—demonstrating that circularity can be both climate-positive and socially inclusive when rooted in community leadership.

Launched in 2021, the initiative has evolved into a robust textile recovery system centered on a network of waste pickers who manage and operate 16 neighborhood sorting centres, supported by a central textile recovery facility. This infrastructure enables the processing of post-consumer textile waste that would otherwise clog landfills, while also creating dignified livelihoods for hundreds of waste pickers.

Public engagement has surged thanks to campaigns such as “Got Old Clothes?”, led by BBC Media Action, which doubled the city’s textile collections in just one month. Over 1,100 kilograms of used clothing were diverted from landfills during the campaign, marking a pivotal shift in urban waste behavior.

The project is developed by the Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) and implemented on the ground by Hasiru Dala, a Bengaluru-based waste picker collective. With support from the H&M Foundation, the textile initiative targets the diversion of 800,000 kilograms of post-consumer textile waste and the empowerment of 500 waste pickers by 2026. More than 400 waste pickers have already been integrated into the system, and 55% of the waste diversion target has been achieved—well ahead of schedule.

“What makes this model so powerful is that it’s not a top-down solution,” said Maria Bystedt, Programme Director at H&M Foundation. “It’s been co-created with waste pickers, who know the problem best. It proves that circularity isn’t just about materials or recycling tech; it’s about how we design systems that are inclusive, effective, and climate-resilient.”

The success of the Bengaluru model lies in its collaborative governance. Waste picker collectives, municipal authorities, and NGOs co-create and co-manage the initiative, ensuring long-term sustainability and shared accountability. As it expands nationally, the model positions waste pickers as essential actors in India’s climate response and circular economy transition.

Saamuhika Shakti, funded by the H&M Foundation, is a multi-stakeholder initiative running from 2020 to 2026 with a total investment of over USD 21 million across two phases. It includes partners such as Bal Raksha Bharat, BBC Media Action, CAIF, Enviu, Hasiru Dala, Sambhav Foundation, Sattva Consulting, Social Alpha, Sparsha Trust, Udhyam Learning Foundation, and WaterAid India.

By scaling community-designed solutions, the programme is redefining both sustainability and social justice—placing India’s waste pickers at the heart of its urban transformation.

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog