The people behind India's waste management transformation

Every day, more than 1.5 million waste pickers in India walk kilometers, collecting discarded dry waste from streets, alleys, and landfills, and selling it to nearby scrap shops. Whether beneath the scorching sun or through driving rain, they persist. Their hard-earned income puts food on the table and helps send their children to school. Most are Dalits, women, and migrant workers – members of marginalized communities at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder. They face constant exploitation, and the prices they receive for the waste they gather are unstable and often unfair.

Yet their efforts do more than sustain their families – they help sustain the planet. By carefully sorting and segregating waste, these workers form a vital link in the recycling value chain, keeping materials in circulation that might otherwise end up polluting the environment. Recognizing both their contributions and the challenges they face, innovative solutions are emerging to support them and strengthen waste management systems. One pioneering example is Hasiru Dala Innovations, an elea portfolio company since 2021.

Hasiru Dala, meaning “The Green Force” in Kannada – one of India’s oldest languages – is a name proudly chosen by waste-picking communities themselves. Based in Bengaluru, this pioneering impact venture is dedicated to improving the lives of waste pickers by connecting their aspirations for dignity and stable income with society’s need and government requirements for responsible waste management. Through its close collaboration with the Hasiru Dala Trust and an inclusive business model based on a broad range of services, including Total Waste Management, Plastic Waste Management, and Event Waste Management, Hasiru Dala Innovations not only enhances working conditions but also creates meaningful career pathways.

Shekar Prabhakar, co-founder and CEO of Hasiru Dala Innovations

Loathfer, a father of four, began working with waste in Bengaluru alongside three fellow workers. He started by collecting mixed waste from three apartment complexes using a three-wheeler. After 1.5 challenging years, during which he considered giving up many times, his business slowly stabilized. That is when he met Nalini Shekar, co-founder of the Hasiru Dala Trust, who was reaching out to communities with offers of support and educational opportunities. “She gave me the faith to grow my business and stood by my side,” Loathfer recalls. Eager to expand, he approached Hasiru Dala Innovations for assistance in purchasing a larger vehicle. The company covered half the cost, while the rest was provided as a loan.

A major challenge was working and living in the same space filled with waste. “It was very difficult during the rains – water from the roads would flow inside, sometimes even into the places where workers lived. The collected dry waste would get spoiled. Another problem was staying in the same space with the kids and co-workers. We did not have enough money to rent a separate place. We could not even build a toilet, as it was a rented space.

As one of the first waste picker entrepreneurs involved in Hasiru Dala Innovations’ Total Waste Management services, Loathfer was selected to run the first Material Recovery Facility. This enabled him to offer more professional services and move up the value chain. “It’s much better now. With the facility, it’s safer and more convenient for women. A concrete toilet has been constructed.” The team has also received training in fire safety, first aid, and health practices, and now follows safety protocols at work, including wearing uniforms, gloves, and gumboots. Today, Loathfer owns five vehicles and manages about 30 workers at his facility. He aims to build a house for his family and help other micro entrepreneurs in the Total Waste Management program gain access to similar facilities.

Lakshmi, who is in her forties, joined Hasiru Dala Innovations three years ago as a PET bottle sorter at the Plastic Aggregation Center in Kambipura. Since then, she has worked on a conveyor belt, carefully segregating bottles for renowned brands. Once sorted, the bottles are compressed in a baling machine to increase their value and sent for recycling.

Behind this steady role lies a life shaped by resilience. “I survived because of my financial independence. I’ve always worked hard.” Lakshmi was born and raised in Bengaluru and studied until middle school. She made several attempts to complete her secondary school exams, but the weight of growing responsibilities kept her from succeeding. By the time she was twenty, Lakshmi was left to care for her three children after her husband abruptly ended their marriage. Determined to provide for her family, she took on various daily-wage jobs in factories. “Each day, I would finish my chores, feed my kids, and leave.”

Today, her children are thriving with stable jobs and university degrees. When asked about her hopes for the future, Lakshmi shares, “I want my daughters to be married to good partners. Since they earn their own money, no one will have the power to leave them in misery.” This wish is deeply rooted in her own experience. Now, Lakshmi also dreams of building her own house and finding more time to read books – a goal she holds close to her heart.

Indumathi, a mother of two, began working in a garment factory at just twelve. “There was no education, no certainty of the future, and time to rest or play was out of the question.” She recalls her first pregnancy fondly: “It was the only time since twelve that I received money without going out for work!” Even today, there is gratitude in her eyes for something as basic as three months of maternity leave. But after her children were born, medical expenses piled up as both needed care early in life. “The more urgent your need, the higher the interest they charge.”

Searching for alternative ways to support her family, Indumathi discovered she could earn a living by collecting and selling waste. This marked the beginning of her journey as a waste picker. “I would go out at 3 am. When spotted, people, and often the police, would think I was a thief and yell at me. I had to explain that I was just trying to make a living. I was often told to leave with a shower of swear words.”

In 2009, when Indumathi was 30 years old, her husband died by suicide, crushed by debts that seemed impossible to repay. “I was disillusioned. Everything had fallen apart. I had two kids to feed and take care of. I had 40 lakhs (USD 46‘000) in debt, and if I did not work for two days, I had no money to put food on the table.” Determined to persevere, she juggled four jobs a day – working as a waste picker in the early hours, a helper at a scrap shop, a garment factory worker during the day, and a tailor in the evening.

Over the years, Indumathi found strength in the waste picker community. In 2015, they were approached by Hasiru Dala. “They would ask about the health and well-being of people in the community.” Initially cautious, she and others gradually came to trust them. “Receiving an occupational identity card from the municipal corporation and finally gaining recognition for my work was a true turning point.” Hasiru Dala had been working to secure these ID cards so waste pickers could join the formal waste management system. “I finally gained dignity in my work and was no longer insulted, stopped, or treated as a thief while picking waste.”

And this was just the beginning. The following year, the Bengaluru government officially allocated Dry Waste Collection Centers to waste pickers – a policy that Hasiru Dala had actively championed. As a result, Indumathi was appointed to manage dry waste collection and sorting in Ward 150, a local administrative division in the city. She expanded operations, deploying multiple vehicles for collection. In the next four years, she secured another ward and continued growing her network of waste pickers. Through the many trainings provided by Hasiru Dala, Indumathi shared, “I learned how to handle my workforce, retain my network of informal waste workers, save money, use a smartphone, be a leader in my community, what it meant to be a climate champion, and so on.” Today, she employs nearly 90 workers, has diversified her services, and is recognized as a leader in her community.

Her journey came full circle when she represented India’s waste pickers at an international conference in Uruguay. “It was a moment of immense pride and my first time traveling abroad.”

Hasiru Dala Innovations, based in Bangalore, provides waste collection and plastic recycling services. As an impact-driven business, it integrates informal waste pickers into a market-based system, offering them opportunities for higher incomes and improved working conditions. This partnership is strengthened through professional and life skills training, helping unlock the entrepreneurial potential within some of India’s most vulnerable communities.

Shekar Prabhakar, co-founder and CEO

Author: Romy Sauer, Senior Communications Specialist at elea