The kabadiwala and dry waste: what to sell, give or recycle

The kabadiwala is one of India's oldest recycling systems. Long before recycling became a slogan, families were selling newspapers, bottles and old iron by weight. Knowing what to give to the kabadiwala, and what to give to a neighbour instead, keeps more things in use and more material out of landfills.

What counts as dry waste?

India's Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 ask every household to separate its waste.

The same rules said that waste pickers and kabadiwalas should be integrated into the formal waste system. They already do much of the sorting that makes recycling possible.

What to sell to the kabadiwala

These are materials whose value is in the material itself:

• newspapers, magazines and old notebooks

• cardboard boxes and cartons (flattened and dry)

• metal: old utensils beyond use, tins, iron and aluminium scrap

• many kinds of plastic: bottles, buckets, containers

• glass bottles

• appliances that are completely dead, for their metal and parts

Keep them dry and separate from food waste. Wet, dirty material is worth less and harder to recycle.

What to give away instead

Here's the catch: when a working thing is sold by weight, it is usually broken down for its material. A working fridge becomes scrap metal. A good study table becomes firewood.

If it still works, it is worth far more to someone who can use it than its weight in scrap. Things that are better given away:

• working furniture: chairs, tables, beds, almirahs

• working appliances: fans, mixers, coolers, TVs

• usable utensils, pressure cookers and gas stoves

• books in good condition

• cycles, sports gear and toys

• clothes and shoes that can still be worn

You can give these away for free on Trezow to someone nearby. Many people looking for free items are students, new families or people setting up a home on a tight budget.

What needs special handling

Some things should go to neither the kabadiwala's general pile nor the dustbin.

• E-waste: phones, laptops, chargers and batteries need an authorised e-waste recycler. Read where to give old phones and laptops.

• Domestic hazardous waste: paint tins, chemicals, pesticide containers, tube lights and old medicines. Keep them separate and ask your local body how they are collected.

• Sanitary waste: diapers and sanitary pads should be wrapped and kept separate.

A simple routine

1. Keep two bins: wet and dry.

2. Keep a box for hazardous items.

3. Once a month, sort the dry waste: sell the material, give away the working items.

4. Twice a year, during cleaning, list larger items for free.

The short version

• Sell material (paper, metal, plastic, glass) to the kabadiwala.

• Give working things to people who can use them.

• Keep e-waste and hazardous waste separate.

• Keep dry waste clean and dry.

See what neighbours are giving away near you: browse free items.