CHENNAI: Segregating and categorising waste at home and sending it off to different locations poses a challenge for the busy, urban citizen. To make the waste management process more accessible, Wasted 360 Solutions has launched Rebirth, a dry waste centre in T Nagar that claims to be Chennai’s first.
“The centre will host several activities for the sustainable soul and the general public who want to take sustainable steps but are unsure how to begin. Our mantra will be ‘reuse and repurpose’,” says Ann Anra, the founder.
The centre, which aims to function as a single stop to collect non-biodegradable, dry material waste, will accept clean, source-segregated dry waste such as paper, cardboard, books, multi-layered paper packaging, all electronic and electrical waste (working and non-working devices), fabrics including innerwear, used furniture, used Tetra pak cartons, footwear, bags, suitcases, plastics, glass bottles (unbroken), mattresses, pillows, cigarette butts and packets, kitchen utensils, crockery, and cutlery. If people have further queries on waste items like lighters, they can share pictures with the centre on WhatsApp. Wasted 360 Solutions will then send each category of waste to a sustainable recycler within the state or country. The company receives items from other cities too, which Anra says defeats the point, as waste reprocessing must happen locally.
The process of reprocessing
Once the dropped-off waste has been cleaned and packed, there will be constant movement to other back-end centres and recycler locations. Daily drop-offs and pick-ups are scheduled to occur in different locations of the city soon. Private collection drives at apartment complexes are planned in addition to a second centre in Kottivakkam. Such pick-ups might be a paid service.
Learning lessons
Speaking about the learnings from their 2018 experiment with a waste drop-off centre in Kotivakkam, Anra explains, “We found that we had to seek the most sustainable option of recycling available then, preferably a local one. For example, HDPE (high-density polyethylene plastic) waste such as shampoo bottles are being collected for our partner who recycles it up to seven times — an option we feel is more sustainable than downcycling it (where recycled material is of lower quality and functionality than the original).”
Waste management is a collective responsibility towards the environment. Anra elaborates, “Individual practices of cleaning our waste items like biscuit covers or chip packets immediately after use ensures they can be considered a resource. Certain categories of waste are hazardous or extremely dirty which makes our processes harder and it becomes difficult to retain employees when that happens too often.” Anra hopes for better implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) practices where product producers are responsible for collecting end-of-life products, making recycling easy for individuals.
More in store
A store featuring second-hand, local and hand-made products, along with a repair centre, and a community gathering space will be launched alongside shortly. Anra describes, “We hope to generate employment for the urban poor in the locality. We will also be introducing a unique tech platform called Wasted Warrior where we plan to train and tie-up with workers from the informal waste sector to make information on recycling accessible. We are in our pilot phase now — it has garnered attention from changemakers already.”
A joint effort
The company is tying up with a dry waste aggregator and several recyclers to collect different categories of waste. Workers from the informal waste sector will also be invited to participate.
Anra says, “Collaboration between all stakeholders is the way forward. Local organisations like Waste Winn, Recyclemart, Virogreen, and Saahasm are some of our partners. We will also be working with Livabl, the home-buying information site, to optimize our green processes and we hope to release sustainability data reports to inspire more people to take action.”
Dedicated drop-off centres in Chennai, in partnership with spacious organisations like schools, colleges, and IT parks, will be set up shortly.