Waste Warriors Society

It raises awareness amongst businesses in the tourist locations and provides training on source segregation and affordable waste collection services. It installs multiple labelled waste bins, maintains and empties them regularly in the spots where there is a high footfall of tourists while conducting cleanliness drives with the help of local volunteers.

It attempts to involve the community in its waste management efforts taking the village leaders and ward councillors into confidence. It works to mould behaviour to encourage source segregation and waste reduction assisting municipal machinery in the door-to-door collection of segregated waste.

It helps connect residents with their elected representatives to boost civic engagement and works to get informal waste workers into the mainstream through training them and formally recognising them.

Waste Warriors aims to offer affordable collection services and operates centres to recycle the waste which can be reused. It employs locally trained green workers and teams of organised waste pickers to collect dry waste on a daily basis.

The waste is further segregated into recyclable and non-recyclable through small and large-scale material recovery facilities also at the same time enabling value addition by shredding, baling, air-blowing recyclable material and transporting or selling them to larger certified aggregators or recycling factories.

In addition to working on solid waste management, the organisation also includes the upliftment of waste workers in its efforts. It formalises the status of these workers by providing them with identity cards and connecting them to local governmental entities and welfare schemes.

It initiates the worker’s inclusion by helping them open bank accounts, providing Aadhar, Pan and ration cards to further uplift their statuses in society. The workers are encouraged to team up into self-help groups with training support from the National Urban-Rural Livelihood Mission while being provided with better wages and EPF, ESIC benefits.

The organisation conducts participatory activities for school students, teachers, principals and community members to generate awareness and encourage behavioural change toward waste management.

It also organizes events like clean-up drives, recycling drives for plastics and e-waste, mural painting, and creative upcycling sessions.

Through ‘Green Gurukul’ in Dehradun, it provides Training to Teachers (ToT) to in turn train educators on ways to conduct interactive sessions and raise awareness amongst students to lead behavioural change.

Similarly, through 'Swachhta Ki Pathshala' in Dharamshala and 'Children's Day' in Corbett, it engages teachers and students towards the cause.

Dharamshala is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh with1 Lakh locals (households), 2500 Businesses and a floating population of over 5 Lakh tourists . It is also home to some high foot fall tourist locations like Mcleod Ganj, Bhagsu, Triund Trek and Dharamshala International Cricket Stadium. Waste Warriors has been successfully engaging with two municipal wards in Dharamshala to set up waste management practices amongst households, schools, and businesses along with ensuring collection, segregation (sorting/grading), and processing of recyclables. We have also played a significant role in the collection of all the dry waste from around 600+ government offices in Dharamshala.Waste Warriors started the Pilot Dry Waste Collection Program from Ward 7 and Ward 8 in collaboration with Dharamshala Municipal Corporation. Till date nearly 2 MT of waste is being collected daily. In addition, we are working closely with the Urban Local Bodies; comprising the Municipal Corporation, the ward councilors, Smart City and the Pollution Control Board as our supporting partners in this programme. Waste Warriors works alongside the Municipal Corporation to develop a waste supply chain for effective waste management in the city of Dharamshala in addition to setting up a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for all 17 wards of the city located near the International Cricket Stadium. We also have a functional Material recovery Facility In Dharamshala , the first of its kind in Himachal Pradesh. The MRF will be a key component of this supply chain as it is designed to process 3MT of waste per day. Trained staff will segregate the waste into different categories to send it downstream to end-recyclers.

To build capacity of the women self help groups by providing them with E-Loaders to activate solid waste management practices amongst households, schools, shops etc along with collection, segregation (sorting / grading), and processing of recyclables, thereby keeping waste out of the eco-sensitive environment. To empower women-led Self-Help Group members by providing them with IT equipment like Tablets for recording various waste management related activities, gears like backpacks and water bottles to help them when they are on the field. Portable speaker with microphone to assist them in IEC related activities. Providing additional livelihood opportunities to the SHGs by providing them with sewing machines and the required training.