Bengaluru based design-focused company provides simple and uber cool waste management solutions for all your needs.
“Waste is only waste if we waste it.”
– will.i.am
Waste disposal and management is a critical part of ensuring sustainability. Each and every step of production, consumption and disposal of goods needs to be introspected and replaced with better alternatives. And the alternatives need to be decentralised and relevant to local contexts so that people can adopt them easily.
More than 50% of Municipal Solid Waste in India comprises of organic matter. Due to non-uniform waste collection across India, a significant portion of it is dumped in open areas, landfills or rivers.
Complicated technological solutions that require new infrastructure and regular maintenance tend to face more issues than simpler solutions. In all this, understanding the users’ needs and informing them of the pros and cons is necessary to realise a self-sustaining ecosystem. Bengaluru based Daily Dump is providing solutions for decentralised waste management with its systemic approach.
The Beginning of Valuing Waste
Established in 2006 by Ms. Poonam Kasturi, Daily Dump was among the first movers in the waste management sector. An industrial designer by education and educator by passion, she realised the need for a people driven solution to tackle the exploding pollution problem of Indian metro cities. Poonam and her colleagues researched Indic solutions that people are familiar with and can adopt easily. They experimented with materials and how leachate, odour and decomposing organisms were to be managed. Thus came Khamba, the first home based composter of India. The terracotta pots can be stacked atop one another and are ideal for a family of 3-4 members.
Over time, the team came up with other products like Gobble, Leave it Pot, Lota, Aaga, bags, bamboo straws, starter kits, etc. as per the diverse and emergent needs of the customer. Their wide range of products are aesthetically pleasing, have a long life and require minimal maintenance. Moreover, the composters don’t cause any odour since aerobic decomposition takes place in them. The customers share their positive experiences with the team about how composting gradually became their habit. Daily Dump continues to work on R&D and integrating customer feedback to meet their emergent needs.
Daily Dump products are made by artisans across multiple states of India, thus providing livelihood opportunities. The products are also exported to the USA and UAE. The team works to provide simple solutions that people can use from the comfort of their homes and thus help to reduce the volume of waste.
No Daily Dump product is electricity driven as a conscious choice to not use additional power for waste management.
Going Beyond Products
Apart from products, Daily Dump also came up with simple reading material for different age groups. Its website and Youtube channel are comprehensive knowledge resources due to their simplicity. The team also conducts workshops for students, communities and institutions. It ensures guidance for the customer in the initial phase and clarifies their smallest of doubts and queries. Its Experience Centre is an outstanding place for someone to realise the impact of their choices and carbon footprint. It helps one to understand the causes and effects of climate change in daily life and how to address them via ones’ choices.
Daily Dump focuses on mindset and behavioural change for its’ customers so as to address the interconnected issues. In India, the people who help to manage waste are mostly from the downtrodden castes and classes that have been discriminated against, with a high proportion of women. Their dignity suffers significantly, apart from their life choices and economical and social standing. The complex and interconnected issues like pollution, climate change and poverty are simplified by the team for the users to make them more empathetic and aware.
Thus, the Daily Dump helps to create an ecosystem where people can relate more to the environment. It helps to transition the customer from being a part of the problem to an enabler of the solution. Their simple, people-centric, ecosystem approach for decentralised solutions has won them many awards like:
- LeapVault Green Change Leadership Award – 2010
- Smart Cities India Awards 2016 – for Decentralised Waste Management
- Schwab Foundation – Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2016
- Swachh Bharat Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2018
- WTI Awards (Niti Aayog) – 2019
Organic Waste Saved Daily
(Oct 2020)
Happy Customers
(Oct 2020)
of compost to the soil
(Oct 2020)
17,52,000 KGs CO2 emissions saved per year from not sending Kitchen Waste to landfill.
56 tons of CO2 emissions sequestered in soil by applying compost.
Learning From Challenges
The recognition and impact were realised after overcoming multiple challenges. Maggots, insects and lizards are an intrinsic part of the decomposition process. Customers were made to understand their importance and harmless nature since they remain inside the composter. Despite being a for-profit entity, Daily Dump didn’t go down the typical investor-backed growth model. This sometimes leads to issues related to capital availability, talent hiring and scaling. Because of the fragility and weight of the products, the team promotes local production and consumption over the transportation of products.
Road to Self Reliance
From being the first movers in the field to flourishing for 15 years, Daily Dump has come a long way. It has shone the path to other players who have emerged over time. The team is happy to see more people realising the value in waste management. Its focus on customer, transparency and honesty helps the team to enjoy its role of providing the gateway to sustainability. With the message of encouraging the readers to start composting, the team is available to help reduce your waste in a simple, fun and informative manner.
Decentralised, people-centric and easy to adopt solutions designed by Daily Dump will make India clean and support livelihoods thus realising a Self Reliant India that is Vocal for Local.
Article by Subhav Duggal, team ulaunch.
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