Start-ups usher in silent transformation in waste management in Chennai, offer incentives for segregation

A range of start-ups are bringing about a change in people’s attitude towards solid waste management in the city by paying for dry waste and e-waste that they collect from the households

Waste management is now a hot topic and Chennai has a range of private companies that offer unique solutions for different categories.

Launched in Chennai in August 2020 with 100 households, Bintix now caters to 2,000+ households and collects 8,500 kg every month, a number that is steadily rising. 

Bintix distributes bags to households with a calculation of one bag per week and collection is every Thursday. Every bag has a barcode that ensures traceability of the waste but also allows Bintix to contact households that have not provided pure dry waste.

Users are given individualised dashboard that allows them to collect payment for their waste. The dashboard conveys eco-statistics which help householders understand their impact on the environment in terms of the trees and fuel they have saved by segregation.

At a waste processing facility in Gerugambakkam, waste is segregated and compacted before being resold. “We handle 90 tonnes of waste annually that would have otherwise ended in a landfill”, says co-founder Jayanarayan Kulathingal. 

“Our goal is to use technology to bring social and environmental impact,” he says.

When Logesh Selvan founded Unscrapp, a waste management start-up, he began by collecting paper and plastics from commercial setups but six months ago, the company expanded to include the collection of e-waste from households.