No more ragpicking: These Kalyan women bag roles for plastic-free city

Anita Khandare, 34, used to earn a living by picking up plastic from waste bins despite several health hazards that came with it, but her life changed when she started

Anita Khandare, 34, used to earn a living by picking up plastic from waste bins despite several health hazards that came with it, but her life changed when she started making paper bags. Now, she is able to afford a better lifestyle and her health has also improved. Like Khandare, more than 500 women, who used to be ragpickers, victims of substance abuse, or homemakers, are now making paper bags to earn a living.

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The initiative was launched in 2018 by Jyoti Tayade, 32, a social activist keen on providing better employment opportunities to women who are working in such conditions.

“When I was thinking about a source of employment for these women, the decision on plastic ban came up. We started with gathering few ragpickers and teaching them to make cloth bags. However, this was very limited as we could not manage enough sewing machines,” said Tayade.

Over a period of time, Tayade learnt to make paper bags herself, and then taught the women who would gather in her makeshift office.

“My sister also joined me in managing the work, as we would gather more women, who are struggling with life and are trying to make a living. Around 200 ragpickers and a few women, who are recovering from substance abuse, also joined us. As the numbers increased, so did our centres,” she added.

These women work out of people’s homes, or public places like libraries or restaurant with some open space. For instance, they have been provided a small space at Kaka ka Dhaba restaurant in Kalyan. In Vithalwadi, they make paper bags in Budh Vihar Samaj Mandir, a multipurpose hall open to the public.

“When more women from different areas started showing interest, we allotted a person to identify the locations. This made it easier for everyone to work from a place closer to home,” said Vandana Dubey, in-charge of monitoring the Ulhasnagar centre.

“This is quite an empowering work for us. We are free to finish our household chores. This endeavour not only helps us be self-sufficient, but makes us confident and able to contribute to the family income,” said Sharda Jadhav, 33, resident of Ulhasnagar.

They manage to make around 70,000 bags a month, which are then sold for ₹5 to ₹12 depending on the size and cost of materials.