Integrating Waste Pickers at the Baramati MRF
Formal recognition, social security and recovery income for 45 waste pickers at a material recovery facility.
Overview. At the Baramati MRF, Social Lab integrated 45 waste pickers into formal resource recovery — issuing ID cards, securing E-Shram registration and life insurance, and raising average monthly income from ₹8,400 to ₹13,604.
The problem
- Informal waste pickers worked the MRF with no formal recognition or social security.
- Informal tipping fees were being paid to municipal staff.
- Limited income and constrained material recovery from dry waste.
A Material Recovery Facility relied on 43 informal waste pickers (34 women, 9 men, ~12 years’ average experience) with no formal recognition, no social security, and informal tipping fees paid to municipal staff — limiting both their income and material recovery.
The programme’s approach
45 waste pickers were identified and verified, and ID cards were distributed. Informal tipping fees to municipal staff were discontinued with the municipal council’s help, and 21 waste pickers were enrolled for E-Shram and received cards.
Sessions on further sorting of low-value plastic, a medical health camp, and a session on intimate hygiene with sanitary-pad distribution.
A Plastic Purchase Center for low-value flexible plastic ensured recovery and additional income, while the municipality began building infrastructure for waste pickers to sort, store and sell material.
Results
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