Marginalized Communities and Social Change: Lessons from Waste Warriors

Empowering Rural Communities Through Waste Management

The climate crisis doesn’t affect everyone equally; it disproportionately impacts already marginalized communities, particularly women, oppressed castes, and rural populations. Máire A. Dugan puts it in her essay titled, Power Inequities  “Inequity is the virtually inevitable result of two powerful forces: prejudice on the level of the individual, and political imbalance on the social level.”  Many marginalized castes in India have historically been relegated to informal and stigmatized professions such as waste picking and manual scavenging (a banned profession by the Supreme Court of India) among others. Besides less than minimum wage, these professions offer hazardous conditions and the least financial and social security. Another diaspora of marginalized groups- the rural population largely depends on agriculture, animal husbandry, forest collection, and plantation activities as a means of income. Again, these professions face an increasing threat from pollution and climate change.

A quiet revolution is underway in the bustling villages of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, where lush forests meet the hardships of rural life. It’s a fight against waste pollution, but also against the layers of exclusion woven into India’s social fabric. Waste Warriors, a non-profit working in the Indian Himalayan region, is at the forefront of this dual battle: tackling environmental pollution while empowering marginalized communities through sustainable solutions.

The Intersectionality of Marginalization

Marginalization is rarely the result of a single factor. In India, it’s often a complex interplay of gender, caste, and rural livelihoods that determines who bears the heaviest burden of societal challenges. Women, for instance, are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. Rural women spend 20% more time than men on domestic chores, including managing household waste, according to a United Nations report. This burden is further amplified when caste is considered. Dalit women, often at the lowest rung of both social and occupational hierarchies, face additional barriers due to inadequate access to proper sanitation and waste disposal. This lack of infrastructure increases their exposure to health and environmental risks. ( Source: Caste, Economic Inequality, and Climate Justice in India By Tandale, 2019)

 Environmental degradation doesn’t just affect the land; it affects livelihoods, and for marginalized groups, it threatens survival. Read our Paryavaran Sakhi Geetika’s story and how she tackled caste while working on waste management in Dehradun.

By combining waste management with social empowerment, we at Waste Warriors are working towards creating modes that not only enable responsible waste disposal but also empower local communities that are most impacted by the lack of the former. Here’s a quick look at the key pillars of our model-

1. Building Local Women Leadership:  Neelam Devi, a community leader in Uttarakhand, shares her story,  “The skills I’ve gained from Waste Warriors have not only given me an income but also the respect of my community”. Through training programs in waste segregation, recycling, and eco-tourism, women like Neelam earn livelihoods while becoming agents of change and working for their communities.
2. Addressing caste and social stigma:  Barfiyalal, the Pradhan of Sankri, Uttarkashi, faced a lack of community support due to his lower caste background. Eight years ago, Barfiyalal worked as an informal waste worker. Today, he collaborates with Waste Warriors to establish waste management infrastructure in Sankri, liaising with the government, and sensitizing the community about responsible waste practices. His journey from informal waste work to a leadership role reflects the pride and sense of identity that our initiatives inspire, giving community champions like Barfiyalal a newfound sense of purpose and pride in his work.
3. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods:  Our intervention within Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand has completed a decade of operation. This decade-long work in Corbett National Park, combines waste collection with eco-tourism, benefitting local communities while preserving natural landscapes. By supporting local women as entrepreneurs, our work enables these aspiring women to generate income through waste collection services and the sale of recyclables.

However, the current ground reality of most of India remains devastating. India generates 62 million metric tons (MT) annually, and only 43 MT of total waste generated gets collected, with 12 MT being treated before disposal, and the remaining 31 MT simply discarded in wasteyards. Most of the waste generated remains untreated and even unaccounted for. Inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment, and disposal have become major causes of environmental and public health concerns in the country. In rural areas, 80% of households lack basic waste disposal systems. The consequences of these numbers are dire. Communities dependent on agriculture and tourism suffer the most, as polluted water sources and degraded landscapes threaten both livelihoods and health.

As climate change accelerates, marginalized communities remain the most vulnerable. Waste Warriors’ approach shows that sustainable development isn’t just about environmental conservation; it’s about social equity. By tackling waste management through the lenses of gender, caste, and rural livelihoods, they’re creating a model for inclusive progress.

“When we are all included in the solution, we are no longer the problem. We become the change”

In conclusion, Marginalization may seem insurmountable just as the mountains of waste we have generated - solutions rooted in community empowerment can drive real change. Read more about our work here and get involved with our mission today.

Together, we can ensure that no one is left behind in the fight for a cleaner, more inclusive future.