No one likes to deal with kitchen waste. It gets mushy, heavy, and develops a nasty odour if left in the bin too long. These soggy parcels often end up in landfills, clogging up our cities and harming the environment.

But what may seem like waste to the common eye is actually nourishment in disguise. These five individuals found creative, low-cost ways to reduce their household waste by turning it into manure — giving back to the earth, one peel at a time.

1. Composting in a PVC pipe

What he did: T S Mahadevaswamy, a retired paper mill manager from Shivamogga, Karnataka, built a DIY compost system using a six-foot PVC pipe buried partially in the ground. He began by adding 1 kg cow dung, 10–15 litres of water, and 1 kg jaggery to kickstart bacterial growth. Kitchen waste was added regularly with a mug of water weekly. After eight to 12 months, rich compost was ready at the base.

What makes it unique: The method is underground, odour-free, and requires no stirring. It’s made entirely with easily available materials and needs minimal........

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