Sampurn(e)arth

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Our project works to provide decentralized waste management solutions in an urban context.Main beneficiaries of our project is the environment and the waste-pickers working in the dumping grounds to scrap a living.

Standings & Awards

1313 out of 1313 in Asia
272 out of 272 in Environment
574 out of 574 in Pilot
1066 out of 1066 in Blended
4003 out of 4003 Overall

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Sampurn(e)arth

Solid waste management solutions which are environmentally friendly & actively engages waste-pickers.

We are trying to break through the Non cyclic process of waste management or rather resource management which is currently extraction, production, consumption and dumping or landfilling, resulting in green house gas emissions, ground water pollutions and the ever-increasing natural resource crunch. Mumbai daily labels 8000 tons of perfectly recyclable and re-usable resources into waste and probably hosts the biggest dumping ground in Asia. The waste-pickers mostly consisting of women and their children contributes to some percentages of recycling but are found to be struggling with poverty, serious health issues and vicious cycle of moneylenders.To survive the physical and mental abuse most of the times they would be found on drugs as well.

We envision a world where waste is totally transformed into utilizable resources without exploitation of people or plane. We provide end to end decentralized waste-management solutions ranging from waste audit, designing and setting up of the waste handling system and also providing further operation and maintenance.Decentralized way saves the considerable transportation and the emissions attached to it. Our customers range from townships, corporates, school and college campuses and also municipal corporations.

Wet waste is processed in the biogas plants or composting units. The technologies used has higher biogas and better manure yielding capacities. Paper, plastic, glass, tetrapak waste are further sorted at our dry waste sheds and channelized to recyclers. We also work on a barter system with corporate houses where in return of paper waste collected we return back recycled paper products. The operation and maintenance of the waste handling systems is done by training waste-pickers and involving them in the operations. We have drawn partnerships with federation and co-operatives of waste-pickers with more than 3000 associated waste-pickers. Through our projects we are trying to provide them better working conditions, access to financial and social security and more importantly a dignified life free from exploitation.

Our team consists of people from diverse backgrounds with varied experiences including environmental and technological experts , management graduates, social activists, and even have representation from the waste-pickers. We hope together we can find a solution to this ever-increasing problem of waste-management and also free the waste-pickers from exploitation.

Roadmap to Success Optional (1 - 3 minutes to upload)

Roadmap to Success:

roadmap_to_success.pdf

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation?

Involving waste-pickers is one of the innovative features. The decentralized approach challenges the costlier transportation heavy centralized systems. With necessary partnerships we have positioned ourselves as one stop solution for waste management. Market segmentations according to customer’s needs have made the model easily scalable. The technologies being are high on technological innovation and have higher efficiencies, lesser operating costs, easier to maintain and aesthetically better.

2. Who gains the most?

The biggest beneficiary is environment in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at dumping grounds,promotion of recycling reducing further carbon emissions,alternative fuel usage and also reduction of water level contamination.The other significant beneficiary is the waste-pickers working with us whose skill sets get developed. Working with us leads them to access to financial and social security,better working conditions,and most importantly higher self esteem and a life of dignity.

3. Who pays?

We have a model where the client pays for the services that we offer. The clients include residential townships, corporate houses, school and college campuses and even municipal corporations. In accordance with the scaling up of business as service providers there is a need to develop a stronger backend which in turn demands for infrastructural development in the likes of increased storage spaces, improved and efficient transportation system and this is where we need investors.

4. What is your success?

The way we measure our success is the amount of waste handled/processed, the equivalent carbon emissions reduces and the no. of waste-pickers getting involved in our operations. We want to scale our operations and increase our waste handling capacity to 100 tonnes/day in next one year involving 200-300 waste-pickers, 500 tonnes/day in next 2 years involving 1200-1500 waste-pickers and 2000 Tonnes/day involving 4000-5000 waste-pickers.

5. How will you do it?

The company and formally is registered as private limited. We also have non-profit associations and the wealth/profit distribution can be labeled as blended. Our team consists of people from diverse backgrounds with varied experiences and even has representation from the waste-pickers. One of our board members is also an Ashoka Fellow with decades of experience in this field. Directly and indirectly we have access to both national and international networks which can be facilitators for growth.