urban waste management

Bengaluru is now infamous for its garbage with visible piles of mixed, unsegregated waste dotting the entire city. In fact, it was ranked as the 5th dirtiest city in the country in  the Swachh Survekshan 2025 survey. However, the city also boasts of several initiatives by individuals, organisations and institutions without whose efforts, things may have been much worse.

The unchecked growth of the city generates a large and growing volume of waste that is a municipal challenge. The absence of an appropriate enforcement system for  in-situ segregation and composting further compounds it. Managing waste efficiently is more than public health and environmental sustainability; it is about social justice, urban governance, behaviour change and civic participation. 

The Global Waste Outlook Report 2024 predicts that Municipal Solid Waste will grow from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, with a significant rise in the associated costs, especially when the hidden costs of pollution, health and climate change are factored in. It urges action to prioritise and rethink  waste management in a way that adopts a circular economy model, with businesses taking onus for more sustainable practices and local governments addressing behaviour change around consumption and waste.

We invite you to engage with how Bengaluru is working on tackling waste generated by the city, and finding solutions to reduce its impact even as the city expands rapidly.