CHENNAI : Plastic bottles, lids, food wrappers, grocery bags, straws and stirrers — these are part of our daily utilities. But, where does it all end up after usage? In a city that is drowning in plastic pollution, Chennai-based start-up, Kabadiwalla Connect has come up with a smart initiative for responsible disposal of plastic waste. They have placed 25 bins in the city exclusively to drop plastic waste, which would later be segregated by the nearest kabadiwala (scrap dealer) and then sent for recycling. It was started three years ago by Siddharth Hande and Sonaal Bangera.
“All the bins are fitted with built-in field sensors that would send a message to the local kabadiwala once they are full. The scrap dealer segregates the waste and the junk is resold to processors for recycling,” explains Ganesh Kumar Subramanian, the chief operating officer.
Through a mobile application called ‘Recykle’, Kabadiwalla Connect helps connect the local scrap dealers with the residents who want to dispose of solid waste. The application employs a conversational interface that will provide people information on how to segregate and compost at home, make it easy to connect to their closest scrap dealer and also allow them to sign up for local events like composting and rooftop gardening workshops. Also, people can trace where their scrap is going and what’s happening with it.
In a bid to encourage participation, Kabadiwalla Connect has printed a QR code on each bin. When the public drop the waste, they must scan the QR code, click a picture of the waste they are dropping and post it on the Recykle app. They will earn points that will entitle them to discounts at salons and eateries.
Though currently it is being carried as a pilot project in Mylapore with 20 bins placed there, Kabadiwalla Connect aims to deploy more bins across the city by the year end, said Ganesh.
Bins can be found at
Women’s Christian College, Vidya Mandir, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,Viswakamal Apartments and Thiruveedhi Amman Koil Street near Mandaveli MRTS, Vivekananda College, Soul Garden Bistro, English Tea Room and Jonah’s Bistro in Alwarpet, Amaravathi Restaurant opposite Music Academy, Pedreno’s Global Fusion Restaurant on PS Sivasamy Salai, Naturals salon on CP Ramasamy Road, Hiranya Apartments and Kaaraikudi Chettinad Restaurant, Soul Garden Bistro in Kilpauk, Kalakshetra Colony and Jonah’s Bistro in Besant Nagar.