Have you ever wondered what happens to the contents of our waste bins after they leave our homes? Can you imagine the health hazard of segregating soiled sanitary napkins and diapers with bare hands in order to separate recyclable waste? What it is like to walk in the scorching heat and at times rain, that too for years at end, just to survive? To add to this, there is a social stigma surrounding waste pickers. The taboos associated with waste also affect the way in which society perceives this issue.

In India the livelihoods of more than 2.2 million people depend upon various activities associated with waste 1 . It is mostly women and young children that are engaged in this activity. The basic issues at stake here are: the environment, livelihoods, food security, social equity and last but not the least Dignity.

Changing lifestyles and consumption patterns have created an untenable amount of waste, adversely impacting our environment and society. Tarini’s Project Ashtami uses a combination of art, technology and innovation in order to change the status-quo. Her initiatives include organizing waste collection drives, designing a waste collection mobile app, and co-creating art with waste pickers for philanthropic purposes. She aims to dignify the profession of waste pickers.