Bengaluru: Technology can help process garbage minus the baggage of green guilt

Technology is conspicuously absent in Bengaluru’s solid waste management, notwithstanding the city’s status as a global tech hub.

While some RWAs and startups across pockets have used technology in waste processing, others are still on the verge of doing so or have been unsuccessful.

Enthusiastic activists are networking startups that are deploying tech in garbage processing and recycling.

They are working on integrating them into the BBMP’s solid waste management processes.

Speaking to tech startups involved in garbage processing and recycling and activists working with them, DH gives a lowdown on how technology is rendering waste management a sustainable affair.

Recycling sanitary pads, flowers

PadCare is associated with Social Alpha, a venture development platform which funds start-ups in waste management.

They provide management solutions by generating harmless, recyclable output from sanitary pads. Care is taken to first segregate, disintegrate and recycle sanitary pads.

They are first segregated into bins and later sent for processing, where technology is used to separate cellulose and plastic.

Everything is cleansed, sanitised and processed, when it comes out as end product.

Flowers collected from temples are processed to make incense sticks and essential oils at Phool, another start-up.

Plastics and chemicals are not involved in the making and packing of these products.

Insects help make protein-rich food

Another startup called Loopworm breeds black solider fly larva inside controlled conditions.

Organic waste is fed to these black soldier flies in controlled moisture. It becomes rich in nutrients, which transforms into a protein-rich food that can be used in protein powders and in the poultry industry.

Upskilling waste pickers

Saamuhika Shakti, a first-of-its-kind initiative where nine implementing organisations have joined hands to enable informal waste pickers in various ways, including becoming a part of the tech revolution in waste processing and management.

Akshay Soni, its executive director, says efforts are directed towards upskilling waste pickers to take on bigger roles in the waste management sector.

He points out that food waste has to be treated differently from pet/plastic waste and textiles to derive value from it.

Dry waste by itself can be sorted into 76 different categories, Akshay said.

His organisation helped set up a successful partnership between H&M Group and an Indian innovator in using tech to process bottles and convert them into buttons.

“PET bottles collected and sorted by waste pickers are being upcycled to make plastic buttons used by garment manufacturers. Following research and experimentation, every button bought by H&M Group for all clothes made in India and sold worldwide uses 30% recycled PET (and not virgin plastic). This translates to more than 80 million buttons used for making 10 million plus garment pieces in India,” says Akshay.

‘Make stakeholders accountable’

Nalini Shekar, co founder/executive director of Hasiru Dala, feels there is an urgent need to simplify the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where producers of PET bottles and chip packets are made accountable for waste that is generated.

“The present system is too complex. Medium and small enterprises are struggling to meet the requirement and give informal recyclers access to participate in the EPR process. Most of the recycling happens in informal sector today. So it is imperative that rules are made to move the materials that are environmentally safe and economically efficient. So, tech investment in mechanical recycling and access to EPR compliance go hand-in-hand,” Nalini said.

Citizen activist Srinivas Alavilli feels a basic understanding of whether segregation is happening at source or not will help before integrating technology into waste management.

“An effective way is to use a map, without revealing personal identities, to track whether segregation is being done. An audit of the same will give you a chance to use tech to measure segregation and decide how much of the waste is collected at the ward-level, how much needs decentralised management and how much is being sent to landfills,” Srinivas said.

He feels the need of the hour is for BBMP to invest in modern waste management and processing facilities.