Towards Zero Waste: Strategies for Sustainable Waste Management in India

In developing countries, like India, the cities are choking up on waste and are facing major waste management challenges. Our “take-make-waste” economy is leading to the contamination and destruction of the natural resources that sustain us, pushing us past five of the nine planetary boundaries established to safeguard our planet. This paper focuses on India and delves into the complexities of waste generation, which impacts the environment. The problem statement that this paper addresses is the lack of awareness among individuals and the linear economy that fuels unsustainable consumption patterns. The methodology involves a literature review to understand the waste crisis and circular economy solutions, followed by the design and development of the framework and app. This paper proposes an app-based framework to solve these issues by empowering individuals to adopt zero-waste lifestyles and incorporating circular business models that promote strategies to reduce the environmental impact of waste which can significantly reduce waste output and minimise monitoring needs thus contributing to a smaller environmental footprint in cities. This paper thus suggests changing personal consumption patterns by promoting sustainable production and waste management practices through the development of an app-based system that provides users with strategies and options to reduce their waste footprint.