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1.13
SWaCH Waste Management in Pune
In this step, we’ll learn more about SWaCH, India’s first wholly-owned cooperative of self-employed waste collectors and other urban poor. It is an autonomous enterprise that provides front-end waste management services to the citizens of Pune. One of the waste collectors beautifully sums up the work they do: “We build our world from waste created by others”.
This video captures the journey of India’s largest wholly-owned waste picker cooperative, follows its struggles and successes, and presents a nuanced perspective on the integration of informal waste pickers. The film was made by Pratisaad Productions in a collaborative process with leaders from the waste picker movement in Pune.
Further reading, learning and references
SWaCH https://swachcoop.com/
Kashtakari Panchayat https://kashtakaripanchayat.org/
Eco India: Why plastic producers must partner with informal waste pickers for a circular economy https://youtu.be/l1-DVF8xo5E
Glinski, S. (2025). Young, educated and knee deep in rubbish: the recyclers cleaning up in Cairo’s Garbage City. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jul/18/rubbish-recyclers-cairo-garbage-city-manshiyet-nasr-climate-crisis
© Daniel Mossberg, CEMUS, Uppsala University and Sonali Phadke, studio Alternatives and Stephanie Foote