Background

Officially, India generated approximately 50 metric tonnes of waste in 2015. Unofficially, the figure is reported to be as high as 300 metric tonnes. This vast, uncertain range is mainly due to a severe lack of attention paid to underserved communities, for which there are no official reports.

The situation in 2020 painted a worse story. The uncertain range of waste generated was 102–231 metric tonnes for that year. Furthermore,  of an estimated 192 metric tonnes of waste generated, approximately 40% of it was burnt in the open.

Open burning is a widespread practice amongst developing nations. It can occur due to a lack of awareness of proper waste management techniques or inadequate infrastructure for waste processing. 

Only around 21% of the total waste generated in 2020 was appropriately managed through treating or recycling. The consequences of this are evident in the large amounts of garbage that are dumped in landfills or burned. Both lead to significant environmental harm, ranging from soil pollution to air pollution. Unfortunately, underserved communities bear the brunt of the damage. 

A lack of awareness about proper waste management techniques and insufficient support for underserved communities drives the core of CleanFutures. We aim to overcome the barriers that such communities face in implementing proper waste management techniques through educational and community interventions.