In 1992, two people began collecting waste across the township with a cycle rickshaw. More than three decades later, the small initiative ‘Auroville’ has grown into an 11-member team, mostly women, that collects and sorts hundreds of kilograms of waste every day. The team says its work keeps nearly 80% of the collected material away from landfills by identifying what can be recycled, reused or processed.The initiative, known as EcoService, manages waste for Auroville, an international township spread across parts of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. As reported by The New Indian Express, the facility receives waste generated by nearly 10,000 people, including visitors, and serves as a collection and segregation centre for the 20-square-kilometre township.The idea behind the system is straightforward: waste should be sorted before it is treated as something to be thrown away. Residents are also expected to play a role by separating their waste and cleaning it before handing it over.
From a cycle rickshaw to a waste-sorting facility
According to the official website of Auroville, EcoService began in 1992 with “just two people and a cycle rickshaw”. At the time, Auroville was still taking shape and the need for an organised waste collection system was relatively limited. As the township developed, the service expanded and built a system suited to its growing waste-management requirements. Today, an 11-member team, mostly women, handles the work.The team collects around 500 to 600 kg of waste a day, or approximately 12 to 14 tonnes a month. Of this, around nine to 11 tonnes are diverted from landfills, while less than 20% is sent for disposal.
How the team sorts the waste
The collected waste is then sorted further at the EcoService facility.
The segregation process begins at the household level. Auroville’s official website says residents and communities are encouraged to separate waste into between six and 13 categories. These include paper, plastic, metal, glass, cardboard, sanitary waste, thermocol, batteries and non-recyclable material.The collected waste is then sorted further at the EcoService facility. According to the official website, the team carries out secondary segregation into as many as 82 categories so that different materials can reach the appropriate recycling dealers.The local women who undertake this secondary sorting are known as the Ammas. The detailed separation helps identify materials that can be recycled or reused instead of being sent to a landfill.However, not every material can be recycled through the facility’s usual processes. Multilayer plastic packaging and thermocol remain difficult to reuse or recycle. Multilayer plastic waste is now sent to sugar or cement factories, where it is used as fuel. It is not an ideal way to deal with such waste, but said it reduces the amount sent to landfills. The facility also keeps reusable items that residents can take home and use again, rather than sending them for disposal.
Residents pay less when they segregate waste at home
The system depends on residents separating waste before collection. According to The New Indian Express, households and establishments pay a nominal fee based on the type and weight of the waste they hand over. Those who segregate their waste at source are charged less. The team also encourages residents to compost food waste at home. The aim is to keep organic waste out of the collection stream and make it useful for gardens and other green spaces.
The team is also helping others understand waste segregation
The facility has been receiving visitors from different parts of the country who want to learn how to organise waste management in residential complexes. School students also visit to understand segregation, recycling and reuse. The service has expanded beyond homes to nearby private establishments, which are expected to follow the same waste-management rules.From two people collecting waste with a cycle rickshaw in 1992 to a team sorting 12 to 14 tonnes every month, EcoService’s work has grown with Auroville. Its system still depends on a basic step: separating waste at home so that materials that can be reused or recycled do not end up in a landfill.