The lack of a proper waste management system in place is harmful to the environment. The disposal of waste in public settings or water bodies causes many diseases to human beings as well. Recyclable waste gets disposed of in an unplanned manner. Green Worms manages waste and recycles it.
Early Life and Education of Jabir Karat
In 2014, Jabir Karat found Green Worms. He was born in Puthuppadi village of Kerala. Jabir finished his schooling at a government school near his house. For pursuing graduation, he came to Delhi and studied at Zakir Hussain College. He enjoyed his days in Delhi but being from a small village posed challenges of its own. Jabir’s English wasn’t that good, and he was an average student who wore simple clothes.
Impact of Studying
After his graduation, Jabir went for a two-year program offered by Gandhi fellowship. Jabir mentioned, “This two-year program was a life-changing experience for me. My entire perspective about life somewhat changed. I returned to Kerala and do something valuable for the community.” During his higher education, he had time to live in a slum and experience the harsh realities of those people.
Training of Waste Management
After returning to Kerala after seven years, Jabir started looking for ideas that promote the welfare of society. After researching, he found that waste management was an issue that needs to be dealt with. The waste management system was not in place, creating problems for the health and wellbeing of people and a threat to the safety of the environment. To understand the system of waste management better, Jabir went to Coimbatore for three months. He trained under Vellore Srinivasan, the Project Director of Indian Green Service, a solid and liquid resource management company. Jabir worked as a ragpicker under his mentor. He used to wake up early every morning and used to segregate biodegradable waste from the trash.
Setting Up Green Worms
After his three months of training, Jabir finally started Green Worms in the small town of Thamarassery in Kozhikode district. The team segregates waste. They also set up a composting unit on the one-acre land leased by them. Mostly all the shopkeepers of the area disposed of their waste in the water bodies or on any roadside. Jabir convinced them not to do so. The team took a small service fee from the shopkeepers and managed their waste.
Work by The Team of Green Worms
The team of Green Worms collects garbage from households and shopkeepers at a nominal fee. Waste is taken to the Green Worms unit, where it is segregated and recycled. The waste includes items like shampoo bottles, plastic bags, milk covers, toothpaste tubes, etc. Jabir mentioned, “90 percent of the garbage that we collect gets recycled easily. If people segregate their waste, our job becomes easier.”
Awareness Among School Children
The team of Green Worms conducts programs related to waste literacy in schools. Children receive knowledge about the waste, ways to segregate them, recycling, composting, etc. They additionally conduct weddings and other functions on the ‘zero waste’ principle. They provide recyclable plates made from ceramic and steel. If a client wishes to have plates that can be disposed of, the startup gives them plates made of areca nut. Promotion to use banana leaves is also encouraged.
Impact Made by
Silicon India in 2020 listed Green Worms among the 10 Most Promising Waste Management Service Providers. It was also recognized as one of the top 400 startups in India in Smart Fifty. They recycled over 22720 tons of waste and created 320 dignified jobs.
If you loved this story, read a story about how Vivek Gurav, A software engineer, On a mission to clean Pune city through a plogging initiative.
To know more about Green Worms, please check – Website, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
To know more about Jabir Karat, please check – LinkedIn
Featured Image – Website and Facebook.
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