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WHO WE ARE

The Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) is a collective of SWM practitioners working on promoting decentralised sustainable waste management and inclusive livelihoods. SWMRT is a not-for-profit organisation registered under the Trust Act of Government of Karnataka (Regn. No. BK-IV-167/2018-19). 

OUR VISION

To reimagine waste as a resource.

OUR MISSION

To steer the transition into a low-waste world powered by the circular economy principles, decentralised and sustainable waste management practices by connecting with communities, industry, institutions, governments, formal and informal waste workers through the promotion of replicable and inclusive models for improved health, environment and dignity to livelihoods. 

AWARDS

2014 - 2015  The Karnataka State Environment Awards - 2015 issued by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The award was given to organisations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to environmental protection

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2013 - 2014  Rotary NGO Award for Excellence as Social Change Maker - 2013-14

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2011 - 2012  Namma Bengaluru Award - 2011 for the best  Community-based Organisation in 2011-12

SWMRT embodies the

spirit of voluntary engagement and participation driven through passion and commitment of its members. Its members have been able to motivate and infuse the same values in communities and networks that they engage

with good outcomes.

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OUR JOURNEY

2009 - 2018

2018 Onwards

SWMRT 1.0

SWMRT 2.0

SWMRT was launched as a citizen volunteer-led initiative in October 2009, and was supported by the Anonymous Indian Charitable Trust (www.taict.org). 

In 2018, SWMRT was registered as an independent,

not-for-profit Trust.

Since its inception, SWMRT has spearheaded several key community-based campaigns that have influenced significant policy decisions in Bengaluru, Karnataka and pan India.  

  • Advocacy for three-way waste segregation at source and decentralisation of waste management systems.

  • Advocacy for the establishment of Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs) to retrieve dry waste at ward levels while promoting the inclusion of waste-pickers. This has now been recognised by Swachh Bharat as one of the best practices.

  • Supported the campaign led by Hasiru Dala to include informal waste workers into Bangalore’s solid waste management systems.

  • Co-promoted the 2Bin1Bag method of segregation that has been adopted by Karnataka and across states in the country. 

  • Launched the SwachaGraha campaign in Bangalore to nudge the citizens to take up a one-week challenge to compost, grow and cook. This has transformed itself into a multi-layered campaign. 

  • The BBMP embraced SWMRT’s Compost Santhe initiative to promote home composting in several wards during the pre-pandemic days. 

  • Swachagraha Kalika Kendra (SGKK) and Swachagraha Compost Connect (SGCC) were the natural spinoffs of the SwachaGraha campaign. While SGKK was all about establishing India's first composting learning centre, SGCC connected the compost-producing communities with farmers to encourage them to take the biomass back to the soil.

  • Partnered with citizens groups on the Karnataka Plastic Ban.

  • Championed the ward-level microplan, Citizen Participation Programme (CPP).

  • Supported the Sustainable Menstruation programme.

  • Supported the Trashonomics programme  for school children.

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