‘Wasted Solutions’ for a waste-conscious society

Meet Ann Anra and Mithun Alapat, who started an initiative - Wasted Solutions to bring about a more waste-conscious society. The duo collaborates with different ventures and work in recycling/waste segregation space. They also coordinate with schools, colleges, corporates, events, etc.

“I started segregating waste at home, and used to give the waste to the local kabadiwallas. However, I found out that not everything I send is recycled, and much of it ends up as landfills. On doing more research, I was shocked at the amount of landfill we contribute to when there are better ways to recycle them. For instance, many people don’t even know cigarette butts can be recycled – but they can, at a centre in Delhi. This is the kind of awareness we want to spread,” shares Ann.

Their operations work two-fold - firstly, coordinating with their drop-off point at ECR where people are encouraged to segregate and drop off glass, paper, plastic, aluminium, PET, and so on and ensuring the different materials are re-routed accordingly. The other is partnering with large corporates and brands to host engagement activities, talks, drives, educating consumers as well as providing alternatives to reduce the waste generation. “It could be something as simple as switching paper cups for steel utensils. When you consider the number of employees in a large IT park, implications are massive,” she quips and adds motive is to make a better environment.”