Shraddha Jain Joins BBC for Bengaluru Waste Disposal Awareness

Shraddha Jain, AKA Aiyyo Shraddha [Instagram handle - @aiyyoshraddha], one of the most versatile social media influencers in the country known for her humorous takes across themes and issues, has perhaps just delivered her best yet, with a 90 second video on Insta, titled “Eh Whattya!”. In the video, Shraddha introduces viewers to Savithri, an informal waste picker in the city of Bengaluru, and takes them through the city’s acts of crime which lead to poor work conditions of Savithri and thousands like her. With humour laced with satire, Shraddha educates people about proper waste disposal, that could make picking and recycling waste a lot simpler and safer for people like Savithri. Created in collaboration with the #Invaluables initiative of BBC Media, which is the CSR arm of the BBC and operates as a completely different entity. The video was an instant hit, transcending boundaries within hours and becoming viral across the country within the first few days.  

With a whopping 8.4 million views and counting, so far on Instagram, it is set to be Shraddha’s most viewed videos of all time. It has already attracted over 4,500 comments including those by other influencers, corporate leaders, celebrities, and personalities. It has been shared over 1,45,000 times on Instagram and has received more than 2 million views on other platforms like FB, X and LinkedIn, and has been extensively forwarded through WhatsApp groups organically. 

There are presently over 22,500 informal waste pickers that live and work in Bengaluru, one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Along with Pourakarmikas, waste pickers from the informal sector are the backbone of the city's waste management system – but unlike the former, they are not employed by the municipal corporation, and are practically, invisible. They are responsible for the gruelling task of ensuring that only non-recyclable materials end up in landfills so that no usable resource or material goes waste. It is estimated as a result of collecting and sorting waste by recycling, informal waste pickers prevent 383,250 tonnes of waste from reaching landfills, every year. However, research also shows that waste pickers face stigma and discrimination resulting in them being invisible to the people of the city. Irresponsible methods of disposing waste like leaving food in plastic containers or throwing away biomedical waste (sanitary napkins, cotton swabs, syringes, etc.), along with household waste, makes the work of waste pickers cumbersome, often unsafe and reduces the recyclable quality of waste. The #Invaluables initiative (@Invaluables.Bengaluru) aims to reframe the lives of informal waste pickers from invisible to invaluable, by informing and educating citizens of Bengaluru about the contributions of its informal waste pickers, for them to ultimately recognise and respect the value of waste pickers as people and appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into this unforgiving profession.

An overwhelming response 

In their comments on the reel, people have shown their concerns about the situation of informal waste pickers and how simple actions by citizens can help keep them away from harm's way while increasing the recyclability of different types of waste. Several comments on the video have highlighted how effectively Shraddha uses her platform to speak about a cadre of workers that mostly remains invisible. BBC Media Action has received support from nearly twelve influencers so far on the #Invaluables initiative. Shraddha has been supporting the initiative for the last three years since its inception. 

Commenting on leveraging the power of social media influencers, Ankur Garg, Country Director of BBC Media Action, India says, “with Shraddha's video gaining significant traction, it is evident that this issue deserves the attention it is now receiving. BBC Media Action is eager to collaborate and work with more influencers in the future, as such partnerships have the potential to spark positive change around many more invisible social issues. Influencers have the ability to initiate conversations about critical topics that often go unaddressed, such as the challenges faced by Informal waste pickers, and the interconnectedness between them and the lives of city dwellers.”

The #Invaluables initiative has been designed by BBC Media Action as part of Saamuhika Shakti, a first-of-its-kind collective in India, where nine implementing organisations have joined forces to enable informal waste pickers to have greater agency to lead secure and dignified lives. Recognition and respect for waste pickers and the value of waste picking were identified as the key factors for waste pickers to experience greater social acceptance. By sharing stories like Savithri's, the #Invaluables initiative aims to shift perceptions about waste picking and informal waste pickers in the city of Bengaluru by bringing their crucial contributions to the forefront.