Dharavi: Mumbai’s hidden recycling powerhouse

DW (English)

Dharavi, often labeled Asia's largest slum, is a major recycling hub. The huge informal system processes plastic and e-waste and provides work for thousands.

Transcript

00:00The annual economic output of Dharavi, often labeled as Asia's largest slum, is close to

00:12a billion euros, a tidy sum for this crowded informal settlement. Each narrow lane leads

00:18to a business worth thousands of euros. Plastic recycling employs a lot of people in Dharavi,

00:25and close to 60% of Mumbai's plastic waste is recycled here. If it weren't for the work

00:30done here, Mumbai would resemble a massive plastic garbage heap.

00:42We separate paper, water bottles, packaging and other items that are dumped across the city.

00:48Bottles fetch 2 rupees, water containers 10 rupees, paper 9 rupees. If we collect a lot

00:54of waste, we can sell it for 300 to 400 rupees each day. During festivals, we can earn 500

01:01to 600 rupees a day. And when we don't work, we earn less.

01:08Every day, 600 tons of Mumbai's waste finds its way to Dharavi. From this waste, plastic bottles,

01:14aluminium cans, cardboard and electronic items are sorted, cleaned and sent for recycling.

01:19Dharavi's recycling industry brings in revenues of 10 million euros annually and feeds thousands of

01:26families. However, most workers in this industry operate without basic safety precautions. Despite

01:32knowing the risks, they must undertake these dangers for their daily income.

01:36It's just our luck. What can we do? We big through the garbage. Because of this,

01:44we get skin issues and other health problems. And I have to take medicines regularly.

01:54By collecting waste, the city's garbage is considerably reduced. We select what's needed,

02:00sort it by quality and sell it.

02:02This is how much of the plastic ends up recycled. If this stops someday, the traffic will come to a

02:08standstill.

02:12Each shop like this buys 300 kilos of waste. Imagine if all this is piled up in garbage bins.

02:20From morning to evening, the waste collected for recycling is sorted and sent to recycling centers.

02:26Here, the old plastic is transformed into new products.

02:34All of this is plastic. It looks like steel, but it's plastic.

02:41Mohammed says that Dharavi's recycling industry makes India's financial capital somewhat livable.

02:46In this part of the Dharavi market, business worth 10,000 euros is transacted daily.

02:55These are pet bottles. When recycled, they are turned into polyester, which is used to make sarees and footwear.

03:0415 years ago, there was no solution for this.

03:07But without recycling, sewage systems would overflow. And during the rainy season, water wouldn't drain,

03:15causing stagnation. Worse, if this waste ends up in the Arabian Sea, it'll harm marine life and the fish we

03:21catch from the sea. Recycled products from Dharavi are also exported to countries like Indonesia

03:28and South Africa. The use of plastic is exploding in most of India's cities and recycling has become

03:36essential. The burden of urban waste is mostly carried by the poor and Dharavi is no exception.

03:48But a handful of entrepreneurs have managed to turn this into a lucrative business.

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