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Achint
April 30, 2023
Transforming Lives and Waste Management in Bengaluru - Hasiru Dala Innovations’ Journey
By Ketul
Update 04 Sept, 2024
10 min read
Contents
Waste management is a crucial aspect that gets frequently disregarded when considering different parts of city life, particularly when talking about developments in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru.
In the face of the city’s explosive growth, where every segment of society has seen its fair share of innovations and development propelling them to the forefront, a certain demographic remains under the shadow—waste pickers, who have been trying to deal with the big, dirty problem of increasing waste in the city. However, one organization has risen to the occasion, not only improving the lives of these waste pickers, who have historically been excluded but also transforming waste management practices.
Marwan Abubaker co-founded Hasiru Dala Innovations in 2015, which has transformed the social and environmental landscape and become a beacon of hope for Bengaluru’s waste pickers. This blog follows Hasiru Dala Innovations’ journey from its inception to its motto, aims, and future ambitions, as well as the challenges along the road.
The Formation of Hasiru Dala Innovations
The nonprofit organization Hasiru Dala, which translates as “Green Force” in Kannada, was established in response to address the plight of Bengaluru’s waste pickers. Prior to formally founding the social company in 2015, Marwan and his group had been working to provide the city’s waste pickers with respect and dignity.
The group had been observing the circumstances of the waste pickers and wished to do something to change the conditions for good. In 2013, they embarked on a mission to identify and document the waste picker community, in order to create better livelihood and integrate them in waste management to provide more opportunities. A group that had been unorganized and remained largely invisible to the government and society at large.
According to their research, Bengaluru alone was home to between 30,000 and 40,000 waste pickers, who together removed about 1,050 tonnes of waste from landfills per day. In addition to stopping environmental deterioration, this diversion saved the municipal corporation an estimated ₹84 crores a year.
Their report revealed the unseen heroes of Bengaluru’s waste management system. Following this significant discovery, waste pickers in India were officially recognized as vital participants in the city’s waste management system by being issued municipal identity cards, a first in the country’s history.
A Vision for Decentralized Waste Management
The decentralization of garbage management was one of the fundamental ideas that Hasiru Dala supported. During the period when the majority of Indian cities were centralizing their waste management procedures, Hasiru Dala proved that a decentralized strategy may be more economical and efficient.
They believed that locally owned and operated communities could offer more affordable and effective waste management solutions. Acting on this belief, they launched pilot programs that demonstrated how distributed waste collection improved service delivery and reduced costs.
Today, in addition to municipal collections, Bengaluru has over 170 driver collection units as a direct result of Hasiru Dala’s pioneering initiatives. Marwan, who has never had any trash management training, credits much of his success to hands-on experience and a community-focused approach.
Through a community radio station, he was first introduced to a variety of underprivileged communities in 2009, such as auto drivers, sex workers, and waste pickers. This experience gave him great insight into the challenges and opportunities that exist in the waste management industry.
Purpose-Driven, Not Profit-Driven
Hasiru Dala Innovations’ dedication to putting purpose over profit is one of its defining characteristics. Marwan clarifies that
“Rather than just making money, the organization was established with the goal of bettering the lives of waste pickers.”
This philosophy is demonstrated by the way they interact with waste pickers—behaving more like partners than like workers. They empower waste pickers to become green-collar professionals and entrepreneurs; and help create predictable livelihoods for them
Whether it’s plastic segregation, event trash management, or complete waste management of buildings, their services are designed to empower waste pickers and ensure they are paid fairly for their labor. Marwan recalls,
“It’s difficult to gain the trust of the waste picker community, as they do not tend to believe most people outside their community. Establishing trust with the waste picker community was one of my earliest hurdles.”
However, Marwan had some expertise in this field from his time working with The Not So Profit, but it still took him more than a year to earn the community’s trust.
He made sure waste pickers knew what benefits were available to them and how to get them through Hasiru Dala by using a transparent and respectful approach.
Approach to Waste Management
With circular economy model at its core, Hasiru Dala Innovations offers three primary services:
1. Total Waste Management: Large housing complexes and commercial establishments that generate at least 100 kg of waste per day are among the bulk waste generators served by this service. Every day, Hasiru Dala manages more than 45 tonnes of waste, taking care of everything from collection to processing. In addition, they manage their own biogas facilities where they work with Carbon Masters to turn organic waste into clean energy.
2. Event Waste Management: From little family get-togethers to massive events attended by over 1,00,000 people, Hasiru Dala makes sure that all garbage produced is gathered, sorted, and recycled in accordance with waste management regulations. Their activities are in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and other places, therefore their services are not limited to Bengaluru. They consult with brands to organise fully sustainable events.
3. Plastic Aggregation: Hasiru Dala provides recycled plastic to companies like H&M and Fresco so they may make garbage liners, films, and buttons. This initiative gives waste pickers a reliable source of income in addition to lowering the demand for virgin plastic.
Training and Empowerment
The training that Hasiru Dala offers to guarantee appropriate waste segregation at the source is a crucial component of their company’s operations. Hasiru Dala offers thorough training programs that include presentations, films, live demonstrations, and interactive quizzes for usage by families, housekeeping staff, and security officers.
This training is essential since appropriate segregation is the foundation of effective waste management. Participants learn how to distinguish between organic, recyclable, and refuse garbage throughout the course of a month-long training program, which improves the efficiency of the waste management process as a whole.
Marwan emphasizes that their responsibility doesn’t stop with instruction. Additionally, Hasiru Dala offers continuing assistance to guarantee the upkeep and improvement of waste segregation procedures. For their clients, like residential apartments & company buildings, they routinely produce impact assessments that highlight the financial and environmental advantages of appropriate waste management.
Challenges and Future Vision
Even with their achievements, Hasiru Dala still faces difficulties, especially in growing their organization and influencing public policy. Marwan is optimistic that trash management in Bengaluru and others can be further professionalized and scaled up with the correct investments and collaborations.
One of their most ambitious initiatives is the Ecogram Project, which aims to manage garbage across ten villages outside of Bengaluru and is being carried out in collaboration with The Enormous Indian Trust. The project is an example of a circular economy, in which waste that is collected from the city is recycled, transformed into biogas, and then brought back into the city as clean energy to replace conventional LPG.
For Hasiru Dala, financial sustainability is still a top priority. They have created robust business plans that uphold their social goal and guarantee success.
Their distinctive selling point is their dependability and dedication to upholding high standards, as evidenced by the COVID-19 epidemic when they managed to maintain a 99% efficiency rate in the waste collection even in the face of difficult conditions.
A Day in the Life at Hasiru Dala Innovations
The way Hasiru Dala Innovations operates on a daily basis is evidence of their systematic and orderly approach. A committed staff oversees each of the three service verticals, and frequent brainstorming sessions and communication are used to enhance procedures and grab new opportunities. Marwan takes pride in the fact that a large number of their first customers remain with them, demonstrating the satisfaction and trust they have earned over the years.
As Marwan looks ahead, he sees garbage pickers leading the way in managing the city’s waste and completely incorporating it into the official waste management system. He intends to keep interacting with the government in order to advance business strategies that put waste pickers’ welfare first and help create a cleaner, more sustainable urban environment.
Reflections and Learnings
When Marwan thinks back on his time spent with Hasiru Dala, he recognizes that he has changed significantly as a result of the difficulties and experiences involved in starting a social enterprise from scratch.
He recalls that the small initiative they began to support and provide recognition to waste pickers in Bengaluru, has expanded into a national movement that is changing waste management techniques. His life narrative is one of tenacity, inventiveness, and a steadfast dedication to social justice, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.
More than just a waste management company, Hasiru Dala Innovations is a change agent that shows that garbage can really be turned into money—not just for a select few, but for the community as a whole.
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