SWaCH, the cooperative of waste pickers in Maharashtra’s Pune city, has gone on a major collection drive of e-waste, old clothes, books etc. before Diwali. SWaCH director Harshad Barde said they are conducting this drive, which allows the citizens to donate their recyclable waste to the organization which then later recycles and reuses the waste, for the third consecutive year.
Diwali — the festival of lights — is preceded by thorough house cleaning. During the process, a lot of unwanted materials like old clothes, e-waste, books, vessels furniture etc. are thrown away. Often disposal of such materials become a problem. Many good materials, which could be recycled, at times end up in the landfills needlessly.
SWaCH has over the last few years been running drop centers where the citizens can drop off their e-waste and other recyclables at specific places where the cooperative either sells them to its members or recycles them in the proper manner. The erstwhile ward office of Aundh near Bremen Circle runs such a drop center where the sorted material is sold as well. Barde said clothes are primarily sold to waste pickers or slums while books, utensils etc. also have clientele. Electronics are recycled by giving them to the certified recyclers.
While the drop centers function round the year, SWaCH steps up the momentum during Diwali. This involves special collection drives in every ward of Pune where the citizens can come and drop their goods. Barde said a special vehicle is employed for this which goes across the city and collects the recyclables. SWaCH advertises the place timing and route of the vehicle in the many Citizens’ groups.
Barde said that this would be the third year when they are conducting such a drive. While they collect around 25 tonnes of goods on a normal month, they end up collecting 75 tonnes during the month of Diwali.