Bengaluru: In a city of nearly 1.5 crore people that generates over 6,000 tonnes of waste every day, the idea of “zero waste” may sound unrealistic. However, urban sustainability experts and waste-management practitioners believe while absolute zero waste may be difficult, low-waste living is not only achievable but already underway in Bengaluru.Speaking at a panel discussion on Science for Sustainable Urban Living, organised by Bengaluru Apartments Federation (BAF) and Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster Saturday, experts stressed that zero waste should not be seen as producing no waste at all, but as reducing waste to the minimum possible.
Shekar Prabhakar, CEO of Hasiru Dala, said, “Zero waste as a concept is not about producing zero waste. It’s about generating as little as possible and making conscious choices to subtract from the problem, not add to it.”Several speakers highlighted how everyday digital choices are quietly enabling waste reduction. “On food delivery apps like Zomato, you can permanently opt out of receiving cutlery. On quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, you can choose not to receive paper bags. These are small but powerful decisions,” HN Chanakya, chief research scientist (Rtd), IISc, added, noting that behavioural change at the individual level can have city-wide impact. He also said currently no AI intervention is possible to manage garbage; rather, it is possible only through collective human effort.Managing wet waste at source was repeatedly flagged as crucial. Ramamani VK, COO of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, told TOI, “If wet waste is handled locally, the pressure on landfills drops dramatically. We want apartments and big complexes to manage their own waste so that less garbage reaches our vehicles.”Where avoiding single-use items is unavoidable, panellists pointed to advances in material science. Bagasse-based containers and pulp packaging with minimal biodegradable plastic lining are now being used for food deliveries. These can be composted or converted into biogas, moving us closer to a low garbage-footprint system.The discussion also highlighted gaps in current waste conversations. “We talk about reduce, reuse and recycle, but we forget repair. Life extension through repair is critical, especially for textiles and electronics,” said Archana Tripathi, CEO of Saahas, noting that repair ecosystems can also create livelihoods.Textile waste emerged as a major concern, driven by a throwaway culture and complex fabric blends that are difficult to recycle. GL Sivakumar Babu, professor (Rtd), IISc, talking about the significance of larger apartments and communities, said, “These establishments have more space to bring collective change by enforcing simple changes in what is allowed and what is not allowed inside their apartments, how their gatherings are sustainable, and others.”
