Plastic Circularity

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur

Assessing SWM operations, waste quantum and stakeholders to find intervention areas.

LocationNagpur, Maharashtra

ServicesSWM assessment · Stakeholder engagement · Plastic circularity

Overview. For the Plastic Circular Cities Project in Nagpur, Social Lab (with sampurnEarth and the India Sanitation Coalition) assessed the existing SWM system across three components — operations, waste assessment and stakeholder engagement — to identify intervention areas for inclusive, resilient waste ecosystems.

PartnerssampurnEarth · India Sanitation Coalition

Population~2.66 million

Households surveyed405 (HIG · MIG · LIG)

Coverage10 zones · 38 wards · 5 transfer stations

Project story

Swipe through the project as we published it — real slides from the field.

Project story · 8 slides

1/8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 1 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 2 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 3 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 4 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 5 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 6 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 7 of 8

Plastic Circular Cities — Nagpur — slide 8 of 8

Background

Nagpur (population ~2.66 million) was selected for its scale, its active informal waste sector and specific infrastructure gaps. With sampurnEarth and the India Sanitation Coalition, Social Lab assessed the existing SWM system across operations, waste quantum and stakeholders — surveying 405 households (HIG/MIG/LIG), two market areas and five transfer stations across 10 zones and 38 wards — to design a holistic, city-scale SWM solution.

The challenge

To advance inclusive and resilient waste ecosystems, Nagpur needed a clear picture of its SWM system, the quantum and characterisation of its waste, and the awareness and capacity of every key actor.

Social Lab’s role

Social Lab ran the assessment — desk research, a five-pronged stakeholder survey and field observations — quantifying collection, segregation, GVPs and waste flow, then framed a pilot model in consultation with Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Our approach

SWM operations

Assessing collection, segregation, transfer, GVPs and processing.

Waste assessment

Quantifying and characterising waste generated, collected and processed.

Stakeholder engagement

Evaluating awareness, capacity and challenges among households, workers, pickers, dealers and bulk generators.

Results

>90%Collection in sampled wards (assigned contractors & GPS routes)

39% / 56% / 33%Low source segregation — residential / commercial / BWGs

161GVPs mapped in 5 wards (avg. 32 per ward)

~1,261 TPDOverall waste collected (mostly mixed at source)

25–30 TPDPlastics, cardboard & metal recycled by the informal sector

75% / 2.6%Households using two-bin / three-bin systems (<10% compost)

78% / 45%Safai karmacharis receiving PPE / using it consistently

33%Bulk waste generators segregating or composting (none pay user fees)

What we learned

Launch awareness drives for source segregation and sustainable waste practices.
Provide capacity building and training for all sanitation workers.
Formalise waste pickers and scrap dealers with ID, training and benefits.
Set up primary and secondary sorting facilities through SHGs / cooperatives of waste pickers.
Build market linkages to authorised recyclers for better plastic recovery and processing.

More proof

Related case studies

Net Zero & Rural

Building a Net-Zero, Climate-Resilient Mandede Village 66.6% · Source-segregation level in 3 months (target >90%)

Urban SWM

Community-Driven Waste Management in Deolali Pravara 8 · Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) eliminated

Urban SWM

Creating a Garbage-Free Slum in Wadarwadi 82% · Households covered for waste collection (up from ~18%)

Let’s talk

Not sure which EPR applies to you?

Check your applicability free in 60 seconds, or talk to our compliance team.

Check your applicability Book a consultation

Or call +91 95942 59275 · [email protected]