We know surprisingly little about where our stuff comes from and even less about where it goes after we are done using it. And that's making climate change worse.
Encouraging the use of products for as long as possible does more than optimizing the use of natural resources. It can support sustainable innovation and efficiency, and do so without diminishing the profitability of businesses.
A team of young architects learns that their formal learning provides only limited guidance to tackle the stark challenges faced by those living in an uplanned colony next to a major urban dumpsite.
Urban finances do need to be strengthened, but expenditure alone is not enough to improve outcomes. A study of waste management in 27 cities shows the importance of other non-monetary influences.
Waste collection and recycling management of flexible and multilayer packaging are particularly challenging. At different stages of the recycling chain, solutions must be found.
Urban waste continues to grow, and governments at different levels are responding with a range of approaches. There are several reasons to choose decentralisation.
Extended Producer Responsibility-based interventions can be designed to ensure that wastepickers and informal workers remain an integral part of the new regime too.
Waste pickers and others in informal recycling supply chains have long sought better terms and conditions of work, and to be heard as equals in decisions about waste management.
A glimpse into the lives of women waste-pickers in Pune by Suchismita Pai.
The women of Meghpar village of Kutch District are fighting the big port town Gandhidham municipality which is dumping its waste in their village. Vimal Kalavadiya and Shvetangini Patel report from Kutch.
A citizen’s probe unearths a racket in which toxic burnt waste is sold to farmers in the garb of vermicompost; what’s more, the packaging indicates involvement of a composting firm under the government. Shree D N and Akshatha M report from Bengaluru.
A petition filed by an NGO before the NGT seeks a phasing out of the use of plastic bottles and multi-layered plastic packaging, but there is a strong opposition to the proposal from a significant section of stakeholders belonging to the industry. Devanik Saha reports.
The success of ‘spot fixes’ and other initiatives by independent resident-collectives or organisations in cleaning up urban spaces and dumping spots has been noteworthy, but a long-term plan for solving waste issues in Indian cities needs more. Pooja Ramamurthi explains.
The ruling government has allocated 7,060 crores of rupees for development of smart cities, but do our realities allow for westernised ICT-driven smart cities? Darryl D’Monte dwells on what would really make our cities smart, based on deliberations at the second Urban Age conference.
A recent report from environmental research group Toxics Link exposes how multinationals are flagrantly violating the MoEF-notified rules on e-waste, even as the authorities empowered to enforce implementation remain passive. Richa Malhotra details the key findings.
India Together is published with support from Oorvani Foundation.
