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Partnerships
Why Are Partnerships Important
Why Are Partnerships Important
What We Did
Best Practices From Across India
What We Learnt
Why Are Partnerships Important?
Partnerships are the engine for the waste management system to move towards greater efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.
Waste moves through a complex web of interactions – from households and consumers to Safai Mitras, local government collection systems, recyclers, and waste management organisations, before it reaches its final destination, which may be recyclers, processors, or landfills.
In most countries, the mix of formal and informal systems fragments this waste journey. Safai Mitras, for instance, often work independently, lacking formal recognition, while local governments manage waste at scale but may not engage closely with informal communities. Recyclers rely on segregated waste, but their ability to process it is impacted by how effectively it is sorted and collected upstream, and so on. In such an interconnected system, actions of one stakeholder directly impact the effectiveness of another.
This is where partnerships become not just an advantage, but a necessity. For successful waste management initiatives, partnerships must be unlocked at every stage to enable resource-sharing and create holistic systems where the actions of one stakeholder positively impact others down the chain.
From policy-making to on-ground waste segregation, one partnership can amplify another’s results, creating a ripple effect that benefits the entire system. By aligning objectives of each stakeholder through a shared value proposition, the success of one part of the system can reinforce the rest. Waste is also a highly local issue and therefore needs effective and decentralized systems – whether it's through the formal inclusion of Safai Mitras, technology integration for better collection, private sector investment in infrastructure, or effective participation of local communities.
What did we do?
Our approach has been rooted in unlocking the full potential of the waste value chain by creating partnerships that deliver real, practical outcomes – not just theoretical collaboration.
By combining data-driven insights, a deep understanding of macro implications, and grassroots realities, we have created models that align strengths of all stakeholders.
Through our work with UNDP India and Xynteo, our solutions went beyond just connecting stakeholders; they align efforts in a way that delivers maximum impact and long-term results. By forming strong partnerships at each level of the waste value chain, we ensured that every hand was on deck, and that we leveraged core expertise of each partner to its maximum.
At the household level, we partnered with local municipality officers and sanitation staff, grassroots NGOs, and community champions to engage citizens and consumers. With HUL’s expertise in behavior change, we rolled out initiatives informed by human insights – understanding the barriers people face in waste segregation and what motivates them to act. This allowed us to nudge citizens towards segregating waste at the source, creating a ripple effect that strengthened the very foundation of the value chain.
We developed a robust Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, to set up decentralized Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) as waste moved from homes to collection. This was anchored by collaboration with local municipalities, which provided land and regulatory support, and social enterprises that co-invested in and operated the MRFs. Integral to this model were the Safai Mitras, who played a key role in the collection process, ensuring that waste was properly segregated and collected at source and efficiently delivered to the MRFs. Their formal inclusion helped bridge the gap between informal communities and formal systems, creating an equitable system and dignified livelihoods.
Further down the chain, we partnered with recyclers and start-ups, to ensure that every type of waste was processed and recycled efficiently. Their involvement brought vital business acumen and innovation to the table, ensuring the financial viability of the system. This allowed us to maximize the value of each waste stream and contribute to the business case of the MRFs – ensuring that the model was scalable and replicable.
To support the stabilization of our models during the early stages, we brought in mission-aligned funding partners. These partners helped bridge financial gaps, ensuring that the system could operate sustainably until it reached a point of financial viability. This viability gap funding was essential in allowing the model to grow and achieve longevity.
Finally, we worked with knowledge partners and experts who provided a holistic, 360-degree view of the system. Their inputs ensured that our models were sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. They contributed design thinking, innovation, and strategic oversight, allowing us to build circular solutions that were not only efficient but also robust and adaptable to future.
Our approach worked because it is grounded in shared value.
Each partner contributed their core strength, and every stakeholder saw a tangible benefit – creating a cycle where one partner’s success propelled the others.
By leveraging these synergies, we built models that are not only sustainable but adaptable and scalable – transforming fragmented efforts into a unified, high-impact system.
Best Practices From The Ecosystem
Case Study
Indore
Context
Indore has been ranked India’s cleanest city for six consecutive years under the Swachh Survekshan rankings. With over 1,000 tonnes of waste generated daily and a population of over 3 million, the city faced severe waste management challenges until 2014. Low segregation rates, inadequate infrastructure, and high landfill dependency exacerbated the problem. However, the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 prompted the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to overhaul its waste management practices, transforming waste into a collective responsibility through strong public-private-partnerships across the value chain.
Innovation
Indore’s success is rooted in its government-led approach that leveraged strong partnerships across the value chain to ensure that every stakeholder – from citizens to Safai Mitras, private sector players, recyclers, and the municipality – had a clear role in the solution. IMC implemented a highly efficient daily door-to-door waste collection system, servicing nearly 100% households in the city. The city also established advanced processing facilities with about 1,000 TPD capacity, including 10 decentralized Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and 14 waste-to-compost plants. A Waste-to-Energy plant further processed non-recyclable waste. Partnerships with recyclers ensured that every type of waste was directed to the appropriate channels, reducing landfill usage significantly.
Central to Indore's model was the integration of the informal waste sector of Safai Mitras and local aggregators to formally integrate them into the system through formalising their roles and extensive capacity building. This sector currently handles about 13% of the city’s waste processing.
What makes Indore’s approach even more remarkable is the cultural shift it engineered. Through citizen engagement campaigns, waste management became a point of pride.
Through citizen engagement campaigns, the city launched Swachhata Raths (cleanliness vehicles) and mobile apps, inspiring widespread citizen participation. Waste segregation in Indore has evolved from a mandate to a movement, driven by collective action.
Key Takeaways
Making waste a collective responsibility
Infrastructure complimenting citizen action
Strong partnerships from source to end
Use of tech to engineer a cultural shift through citizen participation
Making waste a collective responsibility
Infrastructure complimenting citizen action
Strong partnerships from source to end
Use of tech to engineer a cultural shift through citizen participation
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Lessons Learnt
Partners to align under a compelling vision.
Many of the examples quoted in this Toolkit started with multiple partners aligning to a compelling vision. For example, improving the ranking of the city in the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ ranking list. A powerful vision when brought to mainstream by different stakeholders and supported by visible top-down action, has the potential to stir positive reinforcement for local municipalities, sanitation staff, and communities. The sense of pride that gets attached to such initiatives, propels action, participation, and collaboration.
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