Xynteo's Vikaasa partnership worked with key partners to develop a plastic circularity project for Mumbai, India
The opportunity
India generates 9.5 million tonnes of plastic waste a year, 45% of which is improperly disposed of or left as litter. Systemic, infrastructural and technological barriers keep India locked in unequal, unsustainable and inefficient waste management models.
However, sustainable business models that use a systems approach, i.e., collaboration with public and private sectors and local communities, can help create an inclusive circular economy.
The solution
In collaboration with our partners, Xynteo Vikaasa developed the Waste No More programme. By building Islands of Excellence at the ward level, Waste No More demonstrates working models on plastic waste circularity. Each Island of Excellence focuses on:
- Strengthening waste management infrastructure
- Integrating the informal sector
- Educating and empowering communities, including children
- Strengthening the ecosystem by informing policy
The results
The programme’s first pilot kicked off in Mumbai in March 2020. D Ward, a municipal ward in the heart of Mumbai where a material recovery facility has been set up to collect and sort the incoming dry waste, connections have been established with the informal sector to create one unified supply chain and awareness campaign on responsible waste management has been launched to empower and integrate the communities.
Already, the on-going project demonstrates a unique, decentralised, end-to-end waste management model in partnership with public and private sector stakeholders.