Bhopal waste cafe exchanges recyclables for food and essentials

Anjita Sablok and her team lead the Kachra Cafe in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, which provides residents with food and household items in exchange for segregated waste.

The initiative operates through a partnership between the Mannat Social Welfare Society and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. Residents bring dry waste such as plastic bottles, old newspapers, and discarded electronic items to the center. In return for these materials, the cafe gives participants tokens that they can redeem for snacks, tea, and daily necessities.

This system aims to encourage people to separate their household waste by providing a tangible reward for their participation in recycling. The cafe also creates jobs for local women who manage the daily operations of the facility. This dual approach addresses both environmental waste management and local economic needs. During its first eight months of operation, the cafe collected more than 45 tonnes of waste from the community.