How apartments can make money from garbage?
Proper solid waste management in apartments can be a source for making money.
Proper disposal of domestic waste has been a talking point for a long time. Projects on solid waste management have been initiated at various corporation levels but poor waste collection practices have halted its significant progress. As the governmental intervention in waste collection is poor, some companies have joined hands with residential societies for waste management and helping them to make money from garbage.
Poor waste management in India
Waste management is a serious challenge in India. India has a large number of rag pickers in each city and town owing to immense poverty and large scale population. Even with such a large quantum of rag pickers, India dumps majority of its domestic waste without segregating it.
All types of waste including paper, metals, plastics and other wet contaminants have their own waste management yardsticks. The Indian paper industry alone imports more than 4.6 million tons of waste paper from Europe each year costing more than Rs 3750 crores. Considering the fact that over 7 million tons of waste paper in India is wasted due to poor waste disposal techniques, it underlines the importance of having a solid waste management program that can segregate the waste and send the same for recycling.
How to make money from garbage?
If you are an apartment owner, there is good news for you as you can make some money by selling your domestic waste while doing your bit for the environment. Various non governmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector companies like ITC Ltd have initiated various projects where apartment owners who enroll for the project get an opportunity to make money from apartment garbage.
They are given dedicated waste bags for different waste products. All paper waste goes into one bag while all metal and plastic waste into other dedicated bags. At the end of each month, the wet contamination bag with non recyclable waste is given to the municipal authorities while companies purchase the recyclable waste like paper waste and metallic waste at various pre-fixed prices.
Housewives are more than happy to sell the waste just by taking some effort to segregate the waste at their end. ITC backed wealth out of waste project (WOW) for example collects the recyclable waste after paying Rs 4 per kg of paper and Rs 2 per kg for plastics and metals.
Tips to start making money from garbage
A team of like minded: Discuss your idea with like minded neighbors and form a team of like- minded people. Keep your apartment owners associations informed or involved in it.- Awareness: Create awareness about the waste segregation at source and the concept of ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’. Train all maids and cooks in the apartment complex and also engage in door-to-door campaigning.
- Case study of successful apartments: Visit nearby apartments and study the working of their waste management and how they make money from garbage.
- Categorize waste: Categorize the waste into two -wet and dry waste and run the pilot project for a month.
- Start earning: While there are various NGOs and private firms to buy recycled or dry waste, similarly there are many nurseries and farmers who are ready to pay for the compost manure generated from the wet waste compost. Once the project is successfully implemented and your apartment started making money from garbage, introduce incentive schemes for the housekeepers and residents.
- Blogged about it: Share your apartment success story of making money from garbage in blogs and even create a dedicated page in Facebook to generate public interest.
RWA’s Initiate Self Segregation
Considering the successful model of private companies in the waste management business, various residential societies and RWA’s have joined hands to make a foray into the same thereby earning money as well as cleaning up the environment. The housing societies are now collecting waste from each resident and segregating the waste at their end and selling it directly to recycling agencies.
The wet non-recyclable contaminants are sent to the municipal corporation waste disposal plants. On the other hand, all recyclable waste like medical waste is collected and then sold to a company dealing in recycling of such medical waste. The RWA’s have made sure that they are earning good profits by smartly segregating the waste at their end as well as doing their bit for a cleaner world.
Along with the money they earn by selling the waste, RWA’s are spreading awareness for a greener world. Considering that each ton of recycled paper prevents 17 trees from being felled along with saving over 7,000 gallons of water, selling waste is not only good for your finances but for the environment too.
Waste management is a serious challenge in India. India has a large number of rag pickers in each city and town owing to immense poverty and large scale population. Even with such a large quantum of rag pickers, India dumps majority of its domestic waste without segregating it.
All types of waste including paper, metals, plastics and other wet contaminants have their own waste management yardsticks. The Indian paper industry alone imports more than 4.6 million tons of waste paper from Europe each year costing more than Rs 3750 crores. Considering the fact that over 7 million tons of waste paper in India is wasted due to poor waste disposal techniques, it underlines the importance of having a solid waste management program that can segregate the waste and send the same for recycling.
