UNDP, HUL team up for recycling all kinds of plastics in India

07 / 02 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) teamed up with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) for a circular economy project in order to recycle all kinds of plastic waste in India.

Under this partnership, the two sides will help set up material recovery facilities for recycling all kinds of plastic waste along the value chain, and encourage 100,000 households to segregate their waste so it can be collected and processed more efficiently.

A key focus of the project is the social inclusion of workers within the informal waste sector – also known as waste pickers and called Safai Saathis (invisible environmentalists) – in recognition of the critical role they play.

It will reach 20,000 Safai Saathis in major urban centers across the country, helping them get access to government welfare schemes and other assistance programs.

The partnership is the first of its kind in India to promote the social inclusion of Safai Saathis at this scale.

The project follows a successful pilot that diverted 8,000 metric tons of plastic waste from landfills, established three recycling facilities in Mumbai and linked 3,300 Safai Saathis and their families to welfare schemes. Around 75% of the Safai Saathis reached through the pilot were women.

HUL Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said “The partnership between HUL and UNDP is a holistic and replicable model that promotes plastic circularity and collective action. The partnership will also promote the social inclusion of the invisible superheroes of our society, Safai Saathis, at scale.”

UNDP India Resident Representative Shoko Noda adds: “Plastic waste is one of the most concerning challenges of our times. The program promotes an innovative multi-stakeholder model between municipal corporations, corporates, Safai Saathis and people to work together for cleaner and greener cities.”