History

For the last three decades the recycling of plastic and other dry waste materials has become a way of life in Dharavi. The former slum is home to a multi-million dollar business where recycling is concerned. In fact, according to a survey done in 1986, the turnover from this business was about Rs. 60 lakhs (Rs. 60,00,000) a year, this figure has multiplied many times since that time.

It started as a survival mechanism for the poorest of the poor, the ragpickers who would sift through the garbage dumps and landfills and find dry waste that they could then sell to a recycler. Most common amongst recyclable goods was originally paper and glass bottles. The paper was either reused in some fashion or used to make cardboard and other such recycled materials. The glass bottles on the other hand were often sold back to the companies who then reused them.

These people often work in the worst of conditions with very few safety and sanitary measures. However, the business has continued and grown because it is a truly revenue-generating business in that both the buyer and the seller make money on it.