The Zero-Waste Collective

Every contribution counts

The Zero-Waste Collective is a voluntarily driven group of organisations, citizens and volunteers working towards low-waste events in public spaces and temples. Your contribution will pave the way for a sustainable future. By supporting this initiative, you are investing in the switch from single-use plastic to sustainable alternatives, decentralised waste management practices like leaf and divine composting and sign boards for awareness. 

Current events

Banashankari temple (Jan 20th, 2024 - ongoing)

The Collective along with BBMP Marshalls and JHIs are carrying out stringent screening of use of plastic by vendors in the Banashankari temple. Volunteers are present in the temple from 7am to 9pm carrying out several interventions like making devotional offerings plastic-free, keeping the main temple area free from litter, sorting the devotional offerings into multiple waste streams which are then sent either for recycling or for composting. They were successful in making the annual Jathre (5 day event with footfall of 4 lakh) a low-waste event. Other interventions in the pipeline: setting up a cutlery bank, reinstating mesh bins for composting and setting up separate dustbins and signs within the temple premises.

Kadu Malleshwara temple (Feb 3rd, 2024 - ongoing)

The Zero-Waste Collective has been working with the members of the Kadu Malleshwara temple to survey the location, identifying possibilities for signs and information boards and assessing current composting systems. The temple is likely to take a step towards zero-waste.

About the Zero-Waste Collective

The Zero-Waste Collective is a group of like-minded organisations in Bengaluru working towards a transformative movement. A movement that enables institutions and organisations to be plastic-free, litter-free and landfill-free. SWMRT is a core member of this Collective steering it's implementation and strategy.

Why Zero-Waste Collective?

In a world where the global trade in plastics surpasses 71,43,000 crores annually, the economic toll of plastic pollution is staggering—ranging from 25,00,276 crores to 50,00,553 crores each year. Bengaluru currently produces some 5,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, expected to rise to 6,000 tonnes by 2029. 

The plastic we consume does not disappear behind closed doors, our cities are grappling at the face of mounting landfills. Our collective action matters today. 

The Collective’s past events

Kadalekay Parishe - Dec 2 - 4 & 9 - 13

The Zero-Waste Collective, a coalition of like-minded organisations, successfully transformed the annual Kadalekayi Parishe into a low-waste event. Months of meticulous planning paved the way for a plastic-free, litter-free, and landfill-free groundnut festival in Malleshwaram and Basavanagudi.

The journey kicked off with a robust awareness campaign spread across social media, offline events and print media. This was complemented by collection drives for cloth and newspapers, offering sustainable alternatives to plastic. A whopping 870 kgs of cloth were gathered, with the setup of 10 stitching booths and support from 100 tailors.

During the event, clear signs guided consumers toward eco-friendly choices. Mesh bins, accompanied by plogging events, ensured that the festival grounds stayed litter-free. Regular sweeping and waste collection routines prevented any waste from reaching landfills. The entire initiative showcased that sustainable events are not only possible but also practical and accessible to everyone through collective efforts.

Read more.

Chitra Santhe 

The annual Chitra Santhe attracts thousands of people per day. The Collective worked with the organisers, volunteers and BBMP officials to implement low-waste practices. Plastic bags were distributed to vendors to use as an alternative to single-use plastic. About 400 HDPE bags were

distributed to the stalls and were used as litter bags. Sugarcane vendors used jumbo bags to store sugarcane waste. The BBMP team with volunteers ensured the regulation and enforcement of single-use plastic. Segregated waste generated at the event was routinely collected by the BBMP staff to ensure proper disposal. Dustbins were set up at the event to keep it litter-free.