Saahas Zero Waste

This article highlights huge gaps that continue to create barriers to the safe management and recovery of materials from our e-waste. Remember our first e-waste rules were first released in 2012. By now we should have entered into a more mature phase of implementation. Consider some of the gaps which have been highlighted in the article. Our CEO Shobha Raghavan has addressed some key issues through her response. Many people hesitate to drop off unused electronic devices due to concerns about data security. However, soaking e-waste in water is not a safe solution as it contaminates water with hazardous substances and damages components, making resource recovery difficult. Proper handling ensures both environmental safety and secure data management. Saahas Zero Waste (SZW), offers safe data recovery in our own facility, following industry standards. As an early adopter, SZW has been providing comprehensive e-waste management services, helping brands and consumers meet regulatory requirements. Deccan Herald Varsha Gowda Link to the full article - https://lnkd.in/gnzQNnrm

I visited a Textile Recovery Facility 👚 ♻️ I recently visited a textile recovery facility, and what I learned was both fascinating and concerning. The process of handling discarded clothing is far more complex than I had imagined. Every piece of fabric goes through a meticulous sorting process- segregated by color, print, material, and quality. I was particularly intrigued by a small and powerful scanning device they use to quickly identify fabric types, allowing for more efficient sorting. Natural fibers like cotton are relatively easy to repurpose, but the challenge arises with blended fabrics, prints, and synthetic materials. Sorting also happens basis requirements by companies who buy textile scraps from them. Only solid, single-color textiles can be easily processed. The rest? They either find their way to second-hand stores, get upcycled into new products, or in some cases, are incinerated. Despite the growing textile waste crisis, large scale solutions for processing all types of discarded clothing remain limited. The industry operates on razor thin margins, struggling to sustain itself while tackling a massive environmental issue. And yet, as we talk about sustainability, the fashion industry is moving in the opposite direction. With fast fashion giants like Shein expanding and major brands shifting towards ultra-cheap, mass-produced clothing, the future looks daunting. Do we really believe we can slow down clothing consumption when the market is pushing in the other direction? India alone generates over 7.7 million tonnes annually, accounting for 8.5% of the global total textile waste, with only a fraction being recovered or repurposed. With the rise of fast fashion, this number is only set to increase. This visit was a stark reminder that while textile recovery & recycling is crucial, reducing consumption and making conscious fashion choices is equally important. Awareness and systemic change are needed now more than ever. Do you send your clothes to recycling centres? Would love to hear your thoughts on this 💬 #SustainableFashion #TextileRecovery #FastFashionCrisis #CircularEconomy Thanks to The Climate Party® and Saahas Zero Waste for arranging this.

In the 21st century, building a business model around textile waste is a challenge. We are grateful for partnerships which make it easier.

Responsibility is tagged to Recycling On this Global Recycling Day, we highlight the critical issue of e-waste management in India. Currently, over 90% of e-waste is processed informally, often without proper safety measures. The film explores this reality in Bangalore's informal sectors and shows the stark contrast with authorized e-waste management practices. Through the eyes of three impactful change-makers, the film emphasizes the need for behavioral change and urges all stakeholders to take action. It’s time to recognize the role of consumers and businesses in supporting authorized recycling systems for a circular economy. #ewaste #globalrecyclingday #resourcerecovery #ewastecollection

AN EVENT TO REMEMBER Every event across the country is today governed by two regulations ·       Soid Waste Management Rules 2016 ·       Plastic Waste Management Rules 2012 These rules outline that every event is expected to follow the path of responsible waste management. Unfortunately, most events in India continue to ignore the rules with very little accountability to the waste which is generated.  Fortunately, we are also seeing exceptions. SZW is happy to report our partnership with IMTEX (Indian Machine Tools Exhibition) this year, India's largest event which pulled down many barriers to bring together a responsible waste event at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. Over 23 days in January/ February, we were given the huge responsibility of working with 300+ MT of waste which had to be collected, sorted, processed and transported to authorised end markets. This included packaging waste, food waste and C&D waste. Our partnership had a good systems approach. Segregation at source was the starting point, followed by processing of food waste within BIEC and dispatch of dry waste to our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). We had to work collaboratively with different stakeholders including 1,222 exhibitors from 26 countries, food vendors, a large housekeeping team, and almost a lakh visitors. SZW had a team of 40+ people assigned with different operational responsibilities . The end result is a good view of the different waste streams that were generated and put through processing and resource recovery. We are grateful to BIEC and the organisers of IMTEX who aligned with us on commitment and resilience to demonstrate the possibilities to execute responsible waste management at a scale.  We are happy to receive ths acknowledgement from Sunil Govind. #resourcerecovery #IMTEX2025 #zerowasteevent

Electronics for You & Our E-waste   Last week, our E-waste team participated in Electronics for You, a national event which brought together 15,000 visitors including manufacturers, hardware and software developers. With IoT as the central theme, the expo provided a space for industry professionals to discuss New Product Development, Prototyping, and Manufacturing challenges and solutions. But Electronics for You is also about E-waste management which is why we were happy to be included in the expo.    As a waste management company with a focus on recovering resources from electronic waste and extend the life of laptops, we see events like EFY Expo as an important opportunity to highlight the need for responsible e-waste management. With increasing electronic consumption, proper recycling and refurbishment, play a key role in reducing environmental impact and supporting a circular economy. Our E-Waste team works on recovering valuable materials from unused electronics and refurbishing laptops to extend their usability. These practices help reduce e-waste while offering businesses and individuals an alternative to discarding. As the electronics and IoT sector grows, integrating efficient e-waste management into industry practices becomes even more essential. #EFYexpo #ewastemanagement #laptops #technology #repair #refurbish

At Saahas Zero Waste, reduce is not just part of our work, it is a part of our everyday choices. Our work culture encourages us to integrate these values into our daily routines, both professionally and personally. Our colleague Nimmi Shankar recently organized her daughter’s wedding as a zero-waste event, ensuring minimal environmental impact while celebrating an important occasion. This reflects how our commitment to reduce consumption extends beyond the workplace. Watch this film to see how she put these values into practice. #zerowastewedding #zerowasteevent #events #weddings #weddingsindia

Today is 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 (March 1), and I am reminded of the prescient words of environmental champion Annie Leonard: “There is no such thing as away. When you throw something away, it must go somewhere”. And indeed, often this “away” is beyond borders, as this recent piece https://lnkd.in/dmJsiyJj by Alexander Clapp in the NYTimes outlined. We have gotten quite good at shipping our trash elsewhere. In the #fashion industry, one of the focus areas for Laudes Foundation, the #waste problem is vast, estimated at around 92 million tons of textile waste every year. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, as I, along with some of our governors, discovered in Bengaluru this week. A growing hub for #circularity, #Bengaluru has over 25,000 waste workers as well as innovative companies like Saahas Zero Waste and Hasiru Dala as well as investors like Upaya Social Ventures – all working to build a value-driven market out of waste. And as we saw during our visits, it’s not easy to do so as there is a bit of a chicken and egg problem. 🌟 Waste pickers need to have a market for the textile waste they collect. 🌟 Sorting facilities (who can buy from waste pickers) need to have a market for the sorted textiles they offer. 🌟 Innovators (like chemical recyclers) could be that market, but they require significant volume of textile waste to be viable. 🌟 Brands and retailers need to commit to buying recycled fibers (which means, the price has to be right). It will take time to build out this part of the fashion value chain, but in the meantime, I was deeply moved when hearing the stories of the waste pickers and entrepreneurs who are already creating value from waste. And this, in turn, creates jobs and improves livelihoods. (At the same time, it is absolutely critical to address the rules of the system which govern textile waste, and this is where Extended Producer Responsibility (#EPR) legislation is key.) Thank you Laudes India for the inspiration and showing us how to create opportunities from one of #fashion's biggest challenges. Don Brenninkmeijer Amol Mehra anita chester Litul Baruah Lakshmi Poti Karan K. Deepika Nookala Bauke ter Borg Varun Joseph Sameer Taware Puneet Chugh Anuradha B. Devika Bhat Shruti Goel Chakravarthy AB Nalini Shekar Shekar Prabhakar Shobha Raghavan

Honored to have participated in the Global Network for Zero #NetZero Deep Dive Summit at #ITC Gardenia, #Bengaluru, where I had the privilege of delivering a #master #class on #NetZeroEnergy — featuring a case study on the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) #Headquarters – Atal Akshaya Urja Bhawan, #NewDelhi. A special thanks to Siddharth Aryamane for the much-needed wake-up call. The summit was a powerhouse of knowledge, with invaluable takeaways: 🔹 Juggy Marwaha shared his inspiring journey, achievements, and vision for a net-zero future at Prestige Group. 🔹 Anjalli Ravi Kumar highlighted Zomato’s sustainability initiatives, including promoting EVs for delivery partners and adopting sustainable packaging to mitigate Scope 3 emissions. 🔹 Deepa Sathiaram’s session on #netzero during #construction was incredibly detailed, shedding light on an often-overlooked yet crucial phase of projects. 🔹 Wilma Rodrigues and Saahas Zero Waste showcased their pioneering work at the #EcoWorld campus in #Bengaluru — her emphasis on certain clients choosing #value over #price is the shift our industry needs. It was also a pleasure to meet so many industry leaders aligning towards a sustainable future. A special shout-out to my colleagues and clients who are embarking on their net-zero journey, including: ✔ Kulmeet Shangari | ACPL Design Ltd ✔ Siddharth Aryamane | Concept Consilio ✔ Sumit Dhawan | Cityspace82 Studio ✔ Munish Verma | PIECO INDIA ENGINEERING COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED ✔ Our own team at SNC, working towards making our office #netzero Finally, kudos to #Team #GNFZ for a stellar event and a heartfelt thanks for recognizing me as a #NetZero #Champion! Initiatives like this are essential to accelerating the global net-zero transition. Here’s to collective action, innovation, and a sustainable future! 🌱♻ #Sustainability #NetZero #ClimateAction #Leadership Mahesh Ramanujam Geetanjali Prasad Shabbir Kanchwala Gaurav Mukhija Shreyasi Ansingkar

Viva Carnival Its #Carnival season in #Goa.  We are happy to have waste management and resource recovery included in the celebrations where our waste collection vehicle became a part of the carnival parade for the village of Chinchini. Being part of the village float allowed us to highlight the importance of responsible waste management. Our presence in Goa is growing. Over the last one year, Project SAIM in association with WWF-India and NGO Centre for Education, Governance and Policy and Policy has been working to bring a holistic system to resource recovery in the villages in South Goa. Chinchini, a village with 3000 households is one of our customers who we service through a door collection of dry waste. The dry waste which is collected is brought to the SAIM MRF where it is sorted, aggregated and sent to different recyclers. Fun and good times are woven into every celebration. Now we have to include waste management into the equation.  The carnival parade is a good example of this inclusion. #socialimpact #goa #SAIM