Ann Alexia Anra sees potential where others saw waste mounds. ‘Wasted 360 Solutions’, hidden just a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of Pondy Bazaar, is quietly flipping the script, by creating a holistic waste management program. What started as a collection centre and thrift store, is now anchoring a movement, supporting communities and changing the way people perceive waste.
Greater Chennai generates over 6,500 tonnes of waste every day, of which 80% remains unsegregated and inundate the landfills which is the final destination. On the other hand, the micro-composting centres and the BioCNG plants in the city are in need of a feeder to supply them continuously with segregated waste. Enter Ann Alexia Anra’s Wasted 360 Solutions—a little organisation playing a mighty role in the city’s trash collection and segregation. Young Ann Anra has been tirelessly working at bringing together multiple stakeholders to collaborate in building a circular economy: an aspirational state where waste management transforms from a much-ignored necessity to value-added product of society.
Stakeholder Collaboration is Key
“Conscientious citizens who drop off waste at our collection centres are the primary catalysts of our society’s change. Once they drop off the waste, we employ trained people to segregate them into 25 categories that is then sent to relevant repurposing units. Our Wasted Trust works to create employment opportunities by up-skilling end beneficiaries to mend and repair discarded material to make it fit for reuse, some of which goes into our thrift store. Corporate organizations are the key to support these projects. And, of course, the backing of the Government is critical to making it work. Over and above this we have the Pollution Control Board overseeing the system. We all have to work together to make this work,” Ann explains with fervour.
Fascinated by Waste
Ann began her career as a child actor, featuring in advertising commercials and movies like Avvai Shanmugi. At twenty-one, she took on the financial responsibilities left by her parents, including clearing their debts. She completed a BBA from Loyola College, after which she started working in advertising and marketing. One of her assignments involved working with the Chennai Police on their Kavalan app., which exposed her to the issues of overflowing dustbins in the city. “I saw mixed waste spilling before me, and this opened my eyes to the huge challenge it posed. However, I could study waste-related issues in depth only after being free of my financial constraints. From 2017, I spent two years finding answers to many puzzling gaps,” recounts Ann on how fascination with waste began.
Paucity of Data
When she started her research, discussions were mainly around plastic—manual scavengers were picking out plastic and trading it, even while landfills were overflowing with other waste. “Only after speaking with numerous NGOs and activists did I realize that furniture, mattresses, footwear, accessories, suitcases, and other items of over-consumption, were going to landfills,” recalls Ann. “But there was no data—for example—on how many clothes were being used and discarded. Or how many tetra packs were being thrown away in a day. Most of the information available was from other countries and not relevant to our situation. I needed more information to decide what I was going to do.”
Rescuing Waste through Collection Drives
Ann tried collaborating with the waste pickers to study how they converted waste to value. But they liked to work independently and were reluctant to be part of any system—since previous attempts didn’t bring them help in any manner. As she kept hitting blind corners, Ann opted to consult on small projects at corporate organizations to stay afloat. “I didn’t want handouts or register myself as an NGO or beg people to do things which we had to anyway! I had a Robinhood mentality where I wanted to earn from the polluters and give it to communities that need to be supported,” she chuckles. Ann realized that there was a paucity of clean, segregated waste that recyclers needed to run their factories. She decided to fill the gap by conducting waste collection drives, tying up with Restore, an organic shop that supported sustainability, and used the venue as a collection point. That small beginning has led to over a hundred drives over the past 5 years.
Proving the Value of Waste
“Waste has inherent value—we can upcycle it, downcycle it and put it to multiple uses. But the key to all those value discovery is that waste needs to be segregated. A rag thrown into the dustbin will surely end up in landfills. But if the same piece is given to waste segregators or organizations like Goonj, there’s a 95% chance that it will not end there! Polluters and brands have to be part of the change,” emphasizes Ann. Urban areas generate more waste than peri urban areas. There are 200 micro composting centres in Greater Chennai Corporation that are fed wet waste collected by battery-operated vehicles. The BioCNG Unit in Chetput produces compressed natural gas, powered by our waste. “People need to start segregating their waste before it can be processed to feed any of these needs. As Central Chennai generates most of the waste, I began to set up collection centres for every 10 kilometer radius, so we could collect waste while maintaining a minimal carbon footprint,” explains Ann.
Testament to Circular Economy
Wasted 360 Solutions’ new address, tucked away in the quiet bylanes of TNagar, behind the bustling Pondy Bazaar, is easily accessible for those who want to drop off waste. The ground floor serves as a collection centre and the first floor houses the thrift shop. “We wanted to show that sustainability is more than carrying your own manjapai (the ubiquitous yellow cloth bag popular in Tamil Nadu), taking public transport or carrying our own water bottle. It includes shopping locally, buying second-hand or from local artisans. We don’t have the budgets to compete with large brands, and the alternative is to function like a community that appeals to a younger audience. We show them that engaging in a circular economy is not overwhelming, but fun and easy!” reiterates Ann.
Not Just the Brand’s Responsibility
Wasted 360 Solutions encourages brands and the public to be a part of this change. “The law is on our side and it’s enforced through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). It requires that companies that launch products containing plastic (even disguised as polyester in clothes or acetate in cigarettes), have to put systems in place to recover it. While brands have started investing in local municipalities and corporations to do this, the public has to participate proactively. For example, shampoo bottles should be cleaned before being deposited at a collection centre. All of us have to work together to bring about change. We regularly speak about source segregation, and follow it up with actionable campaigns at educational institutions. Awareness has to be converted to action—in simple, fun, and repeatable ways.”
Creating Employment for the Marginalized
A key player in the Wasted 360 growth is Arpanam Trust, based in Chemmancheri. Their facility serves as a centre for National Skill Development. Ann reveals how Wasted’s growth has been built on the work done through this Trust with the marginalized women living in the area. “These akkas (elder sisters) are trained in alteration, repair, and upcycling of products, which they can then sell themselves or sell through Wasted. Each of them now has the potential to become an entrepreneur. These women’s lives are filled with woes, but when they come to the centre, they share, laugh, and joke about their situations. Sometimes they bring their little ones along, and the members of the group pitch in to help each other. This is my family and they are close to my heart.” confesses Ann.
Technology for Scale
Equipped now with a fully working proof of concept, Ann Anra will be using technology to accelerate the circular economy movement. Wasted 360 Solutions has been incubated at IIM Bangalore in the Circular Economy cohort. Her proposed mobile app will allow the public to have their waste picked up and dropped off with authorized waste pickers. “Till now we have been on jugaad mode and now it’s time to scale up and use technology to do our work. Now that my team of permanent and part-time staff has a hang of running the centre, my effort is focused on applying for grants and investments,” concludes Ann.
