Chintan – A voice for Waste

Voice for Waste What Chintan Does Partners with the informal waste-recycling sector in programmes designed to help the sector organize itself for inclusion in policies and to have secure, green livelihoods. Advocates for policies that ensure social and environmental justice through publications, campaigns, networks and partnerships. Chintan has been part of committees that have resulted in inclusive new rules related to waste.

Handling solid waste and e-waste – low carbon future Collection of solid waste and sorting from NMDC area (6000 households) and 20,000 households in Ghaziabad, hotels, malls, restaurants, offices etc via Safai sena Towards a carbon low future -Train households and offices to sort waste Audit offices on waste handling E-waste- ~4.7 million in 2011 (50,000 tonnes from other countries), 95% of this waste dismantled, reused and recycled by a highly specialized informal sector. Face severe hardship, know the dangers of their work and do it because most of them have the skills but are poor. Companies indifferent.

In 2010 Indian lawmakers passed an e-waste policy that included Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR means that the brand owners such as Apple, Dell and Hewlett Packard will be required to take financial responsibility for recycling their products. No similar law exists in the U.S. on a federal level! The Indian EPR law also requires electronic manufacturers partner with Indian recyclers, including the informal sector, in setting up collection centers – Chintan played a big role in this Chintan has worked with several informal e-waste dismantlers from East Delhi to set up an association, called 4R

Outreach and spreading awareness Especially among middle class of Delhi – via progams in school (eco class) Tabling at malls – very good response Internship programs Website maintenance Regularly publishing articles in leading dailies and blogs Facebook - Group/ Group/ “Please definitely join our facebook page.....and share it widely”

Policy and advocacy Chintan plays a big role in advocating for policy changes that are inclusive of waste picker needs. E-waste policy – a big and first step in the recognition of an informal sector in policy Implementation – Chintan will work with a team of 12 safai sena members to model a center for 1 year and then scale up. UN policy on waste management – Bharati wrote the executive summary and also presented the Delhi case study (available only as a hard copy) Finding Delhi – Book edited by Bharati has excellent perspectives on the city of Delhi of Santu (waste picker), domestic worker and policy level activists

No child in trash! Every wastepicker child and every child from a wastepicker family is able to reject a life in trash, even as an adult, if that is his or her choice.

AID support Project a result of discussions with Safai sena members – they expressed the need for this Chintan – Also has organizational needs that will strengthen their work especially in terms of training waste pickers and creating awareness among the middle class about waste and recycling Technical coordinator – Moses MSW graduate, very good in interacting with public and in English and Hindi In charge of most of the activities pertaining to training waste pickers on new policy level changes and sharing information relevant to waste pickers Building constituencies that are aware and empathetic to the conditions faced by waste pickers Eco class – facilitating greater interaction with children and parents Website and Face book page maintenance - Outreach

V. The Budget BUDGET (All Items in Indian Rupees) S.N oItem Amount/M onthTotal Months Total Cost Chintan Contribution 1Honorarium Travel Communications (with everyone, including officials and waste recyclers, SMS) Stationary/Photocopying/Print outs/newspaper costs-cuttings Lawyer (available unlimited times a month for in-depth discussions and one writing assignment a month) Total Requested 348,000