45 Atul Foundation | Annual Report 2024-25 | The Ujjwal Atul project is a rural waste management initiative that promotes sustainable practices in the villages of Valsad district. It encourages household level waste segregation, conducts awareness sessions in communities and schools and manages daily waste through a waste management center, where dry waste is sorted into 26 categories and sent to appropriate recyclers, while wet waste is processed into compost. This integrated approach cultivates behavioural change and youth engagement, creating a model that aligns with national sustainability goals and promotes long-term environmental stewardship. In many rural areas, people often burn their waste or dump it on roadsides, which is harmful to health and leads to diseases being spread through insects and mosquitoes. Recognising this challenge, the project team goes door-to-door to raise awareness about the dangers of unhealthy waste disposal. They educate households on the importance of waste segregation, how to do it effectively and the benefits it brings to health and environment. Community engagement is further strengthened through awareness sessions in schools and villages, as well as impactful street plays. The project encourages home composting, thus promoting the use of kitchen waste to feed animals or converting it into compost for household gardens or farming fields. By adopting these practices, families can reduce waste, recycle nutrients back into the soil, and contribute to a cleaner, greener and healthier environment for all. The project also implements plastic waste management in collaboration with Swachh Bharat Mission by involving 10 ragpickers. • signed MoU with Swachh Bharat Mission and 90 gram panchayats • implemented structured waste management systems in 78 villages and 7 colleges The project engages 10 ragpickers to collect plastic waste from public spaces and roadside areas, often overlooked and littered with unattended waste piles. The project ensures cleaner surroundings as a result of proper disposal. Ujjwal Atul promoting effective waste management practices in villages project initiated in 2020 78 villages | 7 colleges CONSERVATION 44 | Conservation
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