Solid Waste Management, Circular Economy, Enhanced Livelihoods: Sustainable Community Program In Ghatkopar Region Of Mumbai

Waste management is a cross-cutting environmental issue, impacting many aspects of society and the economy. It has strong linkages to a range of other global challenges such as health, food & resource security, sustainable production & consumption, climate change and poverty reduction.

By 2030, ensure environmentally sound management of all wastes. (Global Waste Management Outlook)

Mumbai, the financial capital of India is one such metropolitan city where mismanagement of waste is harming human health and the environment, hence adding to the climate change.

Mumbai relies heavily on the informal sector for its waste management, with its garbage disposal system under capacity.

Unfortunately, it is often the poorest in society who are adversely impacted by inadequate waste management.  

Earth5R has the perfect solution to help Mumbai to reduce the waste-induced challenges.

Earth5R team focuses on reducing the waste in the various slum areas of Mumbai. With a goal to contribute knowledge and ideas to promote circular economy, they help the slum-dwellers earn a fair and dignified living through their Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy based Livelihood Training Program.  

This training teaches the locals about effective waste management techniques at household level, thereby improving the environment and creating livelihood opportunities from waste. For a robust waste management system, change in behaviour and public participation is the key. 

Household level holistic Waste Management Practices

Solid waste management is the responsibility of each and every individual and every citizen should have the discretion to follow sustainable waste management practices. However, inadequate knowledge and awareness results in its mismanagement.

Food waste accounts for nearly 50% of carbon-based emissions.

For that matter, the Earth5R citizen volunteers teach the local slum residents about the basics of waste management. This includes waste segregation, precautions to follow while disposing of waste and methods for composting of household waste, thereby creating better living conditions and contributing to a pollution free environment.  

Recycling is an effective means to reduce energy use, carbon dioxide  emissions and waste at the same time.

Improving waste management in these slum areas will help Mumbai become more resilient to the extreme climate occurrences that cause flooding, damage infrastructure, and displace communities and their livelihoods. 

Waste Management and Segregation Training in Ghatkopar Region of Mumbai

The Kurla-Ghatkopar belt marks one of the largest slum settlements in Mumbai. According to a TOI article- “There are approximately 75 large slum settlements from Kurla to Ghatkopar region.”

Keeping this in mind, Earth5R volunteers organised a special training session for the slum dwellers of Ghatkopar on 2nd March, 2021. In these training sessions, they were trained about Waste segregation and disposal and were taught various methods by which they can reduce the amount of waste generated from their households by composting kitchen scrap.

Earth5R volunteers trained more than 50 families in this locality, hence helping to divert 2850 kg of waste from landfills daily. These trainings help city management save Rs. 4,275/day and also help the local residents of these slums to earn a dignified living.

Volunteers teach the locals how to upcycle and recycle waste into new products and overall a Rs. 1,00,000 economy is generated from the livelihood program daily.

On-ground training conducted by Earth5R volunteer

Everyday, the Earth5R volunteers train over 50 families living in slum areas of Mumbai in these training sessions. The Earth5R volunteers play a vital role as their teachings prove to be an eye opener for the local community regarding waste management and its long-term impacts. The citizens actively partake in these lively discussions and feel motivated to work for the good of the community. 

ABOUT EARTH5R

Earth5R is an environmental organization from India with its head office at Mumbai. It works with the NGO sector, Companies and helps them conduct environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs across India.

Earth5R specializes in circular economy based projects. Earth5R also offers short term and long term environmental courses and fellowships.

– Reported by Trisha Garg, edited by Om Nair