SWaCH Pune Seva Cooperative Society

Pune, Maharashtra, India

Primary information

Year formed

2007

Registered in

2007

Formally registered

On

Language

English, Hindi, Marathi

Number of members

3,800

Type of members

Members are waste pickers, Members employ waste pickers

Occupation of members

Itinerant buyers, Solid waste managers, Waste collectors, Waste pickers

Type of Organization

Cooperative

Organizational Reach

Local

Workplace of members

Collection from companies, Companies, Door to door, Dumpsite, Fixed, Home-based, Open, Recycling center, Slums, Sorting center, Street

Membership

Yes

Organization Structure

Elected representatives of waste pickers geographically.

Objectives

Integration within municipal solid waste management systems; value-added services, enhancement of work conditions and terms, building sustainable, robust alternative decentralised waste management systems with waste pickers at the core.

Education and training

Business & project management, Cooperativism & solidarity economy, Hygiene education, Leadership training, Learning exchange, Literacy & school, Mobilization, Rights & duties, Risks & health, Waste management

Partnering organizations

Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, Kashtakari Panchayat Trust, Kagad Kach Patra Nagari Pat Sanstha, SWaCH+, Alliance of Indian Waste pickers, WIEGO, Anga Mehanti Kashtakari Kruti Samiti, Action for the Rights of the Child, Sampark Samiti

Affiliations

Aiw

Funding

Donor, Donor funded, Government, Interest on loans, Loans, Local population pay fee, Local population pay fee, Membership fees, Ngo funds, Partners, Self funded

Internal elections

Every 5 years

Women composition

78,9% Majority women

Social networking sites

Facebook
Twitter

Benefits

Member benefits

Child assistance programmes, Clean & healthy environment, Education programmes, Health care & insurance, Id cards, Job creation & source of income, Legal assistance, Occupational health & safety, Savings or credit scheme, Social & pension benefits, Training & advocacy, Wedding & funeral benefit

Safety & Technology

Dust coats, First aid kits, Gloves, Masks, No, Risk training,, Safety boots, Yes

Services

What kind of relationship exists with the municipality?

Integrated into formal systems of source segregation, Providers of infrastructure

How is the relationship with the municipality?

Excellent and/or friendly

Types of materials

Animal waste, Biodegradable, Biodegradable waste, Bones, Bottles, Cans, Clothing, Electronic waste, Glass, Household items, Metals, Organics, Other, Paper and cardboard, Plastic, Plastics, Shoe soles, Tetra brik

Are they selling to middlemen?

Yes

Activities

Buying materials, Cleaning, Collecting materials, Collecting waste, Collection of recyclables, Collection of waste, Community sale of materials, Community storage of materials, Composting, New items made from collected materials, Organizing collective events, Recycling, Selling materials, Sensitization of locals, Sorting waste, Special collections from large generators of waste, Training and capacity building, Transportation, Waste collection, Waste management, Waste sorting

Sorting Spaces

Sorting center / sorting workshops

Treatmet of organic materials

Biogas, Composting

Challenges to access waste

Availability of waste, Contamination from waste, Exploitation, Foul smell & contamination from waste, Harassment from authorities, Lack of education & training, Lack of infrastructure & resources, Lack of tools, Negative attitude towards waste, Obtaining licenses, Price fluctuations of waste, Privatization, Transportation

Complementary Information

Information source

The information was provided by Shrenik Mutha on 19th January 2020 to the Secretariat of the Alliance of Indian Waste-pickers

Comments / Narrative

SWaCH Pune Seva Cooperative Society was established in 2007 as the first waste picker owned co-operative. It has stemmed from the grass-root mobilization work of the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat, a registered trade union of informal waste-pickers having membership of more than 10,000. SWaCH’s 3800 waste picker members current collect waste from 800,000 properties across Pune. SWaCH holds a 5-year contract for doorstep collection of waste with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) ending December 2020. The PMC covers administrative costs of the co-operative for coordinating collection service whilst waste pickers received their income from monthly user fees paid by citizens directly. Waste-pickers then segregate the recyclables from other dry waste, sort it finely and channelize it for recycling through scrap traders. The collected wet waste and non-recyclable waste is then taken by the municipality to one of their decentralized/centralized waste management plants or the landfill. This service effectively bridges the gap between households and municipal waste disposal services.