The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever on 23rd January announced the launch of an Inclusive Circular Economy Project, which focuses on the end-to-end management of plastic waste by promoting the segregation of waste at source, collection of the segregated waste, and setting up material recovery facilities (MRFs) for recycling all kinds of plastic waste along the value chain.
Recognizing the critical role of safai saathis or waste-pickers in the country’s waste management sector, the social inclusion of waste pickers is a key focus of the project. It will reach 20,000 safai saathis across India in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, with access to government welfare schemes and linkages.