Every morning, while most of the city still sleeps, waste workers are already out, sweeping roads, collecting rubbish, and sorting recyclable materials by hand. These are the people who keep our neighbourhoods clean, protect us from disease, and reduce the load on our already overflowing landfills. Yet despite doing some of the most essential and difficult jobs in our society, they are often ignored, underpaid, and made to work in dangerous and unsanitary conditions.

Waste management in India relies heavily on informal waste workers, like the ragpickers, sweepers, and door-to-door collectors who handle what we throw away. While their work is critical, what we do with our waste at home can make their job safer, cleaner, and more dignified.

Here are some simple steps you can follow to help them and make a change right from your doorstep:

1. Start with segregation

Proper segregation is the foundation of responsible waste disposal. It makes waste collection safer, cleaner, and more efficient for workers and greatly improves recycling efforts.

Here is how you can do it:

• Wet waste: This includes anything biodegradable, such as vegetable and fruit peels, leftover food, tea leaves, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Keep this in a compost bin or a green-lidded bin if your local council provides one.

• Dry waste: This covers materials like paper, cardboard, metal cans, clean plastic containers, and glass bottles. Make sure these are clean and dry before placing them in the recycling bin.

• Hazardous waste: Items like used........
  

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