December 2025

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH

From trash to transformation

—students witnessed how waste can become a resource through smart segregation and reuse

Namma Swachha Adugodi (NSA) 

Under the Namma Swachha Adugodi (NSA) initiative, Let’s Be The Change and Saahas continued working towards building stronger, cleaner, and more responsible communities through a blend of awareness sessions, on-ground action, and behaviour change programs across the Adugodi area.

This month’s key activities included:

• Reward Session

  A rewarding session was conducted in the 10th and 12th blocks of Rajendra Nagar to appreciate residents who consistently practiced waste segregation and ensured timely handover. As a token of recognition, small rewards were distributed to encourage their continued efforts. Through this initiative, more than 400 residents were acknowledged for their commitment and active participation.

  
  
  

  

  

• Repair Campaign 

  To promote the message “Don’t discard—repair and reuse,” one repair drives were conducted this month focusing on tailoring, knife sharpening, and bicycle repair services.

  On 20th December, a repair campaign was conducted, with around 113 participants availing repair services and 20 participants engaging with the thrift store.

  These campaigns reinforced circular economy principles, demonstrating how simple actions like repairing items can significantly reduce waste.

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

• Cleanathon 

  On 13th December, a Cleanathon was conducted with the participation of 17 NSS volunteers and 35 Bosch volunteers. Together, they painted a 70-meter wall over the course of half a day. This location was identified as a major black spot that had received numerous complaints earlier. Through this initiative, the area was successfully beautified, addressing the issues associated with the black spot and improving the overall cleanliness and appearance of the surroundings.

  
  
  

  

  

  
  

• Waste Audit

  A continued detailed waste audit was carried out to assess the quality of segregation and identify gaps in collection practices.

  

  

  
  

Veeraru

This month, a full-day educational field visit was organized to provide students with practical exposure to sustainable waste management systems. The visit was conducted from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and covered key waste-processing and awareness facilities in Bengaluru.

The students visited the Biomethanization Plant, the Dry Waste Collection Centre, and the Swachh Kalika Kendra. These visits helped the children understand the journey of waste—from household segregation to processing, recycling, and conversion into useful resources.

The field visits were conducted on two separate days:

• 19th December – Students from Police Quarters School

• 22nd December – Students from Dairy Colony School

  
  

During the visit days, students were engaged in interactive sessions focused on dry waste identification, segregation, and management. They were introduced to different categories of dry waste and the importance of proper segregation at the source.

In addition to the field visit, the Veeraru kids were shown educational videos highlighting the importance of waste segregation and how improper practices adversely impact flora and fauna. They were also introduced to the concept of greenwashing through interactive, hands-on activities, which helped them understand the difference between genuine sustainable practices and misleading claims.

• School Visit

  On 6th and 7th December, BOSH volunteers visited Dairy Colony School to conduct a survey. During the visit, the students gave a presentation highlighting the green practices implemented in the school, existing gaps in waste management, challenges they were facing, and the solutions they had proposed. The volunteers appreciated the significant improvements made by  the school and provided constructive suggestions for further enhancement.

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

Domlur Government School Transformation - Arrow Electronic

Following the completion of the school transformation at Domlur school, the team revisited the school to conduct a hygiene awareness session. On 9th December, students were engaged in an interactive discussion focusing on the importance of personal and environmental hygiene. The session covered why hygiene practices are essential, how they can be effectively implemented in daily life, and the long-term health and well-being benefits of maintaining good hygiene. The session helped reinforce positive habits among students and complemented the recent school transformation efforts.

Project Repurpose 2.0

We, in partnership with OSB India, officially launched Project Repurpose 2.0 . The drive marked the beginning of a renewed collaboration focused on sustainable waste management, textile upcycling, and corporate engagement.

Here is the updated table with the combined details for both events — clearly stating that all old clothes and the listed materials were collected to prevent piling up at home and instead donated for upcycling and repurposing:

Category	1st Repurpose Drive	2nd Repurpose Drive
Location	Frazer Town	KR Puram
Date	14th December 2025	21st December 2025
Drop-Off Contributions	15+ participants	25+ participants
Total waste  collected	310kg	838kg

During our drive, we engaged with children to help them understand that recycling should be the last step in waste management. We encouraged them to first explore reuse and repurposing, highlighting how everyday items can find a second life with a little creativity.

During the month of January, two additional Operation Repurpose drives are planned as part of the project’s expansion:

• 4th January – RT Nagar

• 18th January – BTM Layout

  
  

These upcoming drives reflect a continued commitment to scaling sustainable waste management practices, strengthening community participation, and expanding the reach of Operation Repurpose across multiple neighborhoods. Through consistent on-ground engagement, the initiative aims to foster long-term behavioral change and environmentally responsible communities.

SWM Capacity-Building Sessions

Over the past month, Let’s Be The Change (LBTC) had the privilege of leading a series of intensive, full-day capacity-building sessions for Community Mobilizers and Urban Local Body (ULB) officials across Karnataka. Each workshop was designed to strengthen on-ground waste management systems, build behavioural-change capabilities, and enhance operational planning at the municipal level.

📍 12th December – Vijaypura District

• LBTC facilitated a Circular Economy Workshop for engineers and health officers, including EEs, AEEs, AEs, JEs, Senior & Junior Health Inspectors, and Community Mobilizers.The session focused on building a systems-level understanding of waste, resources, and circularity, enabling officials to approach municipal operations through a sustainability lens.

  
  
  

  

  

📍 23rd December – Shiralkoppa

• LBTC facilitated a Workshop for pourakarmikas & Junior Health Inspectors, and Community Mobilizers.We had an attendance of about 60 members and the session focused on building a systems-level understanding of waste, resources, and circularity, enabling officials to approach municipal operations through a sustainability lens.

What Made These Sessions Stand Out?

Participants weren’t passive attendees — they were practitioners in action.

Through real-time worksheets and practical exercises, they learned to:

• Estimate daily waste generation

• Strategically plan daily waste operations

• Identify relevant KPIs and assess system performance

• Track progress and measure real-world impact

This immersive approach allowed officials to grasp the nuances of decentralized waste systems and build confidence to implement solutions in their respective cities and towns.

Acknowledgements

Our sincere gratitude to:

• Directorate of Municipal Administration

• Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)

• Urban Development Department

• Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute (EMPRI)

for trusting LBTC to train 300+ officials across Karnataka. We are honoured to support ULBs in strengthening decentralized waste management, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering meaningful citizen engagement.

Namma Swaccha Madiwala

Happiest Minds, concerned about persistent cleanliness challenges in the Madiwala Market region, approached Let’s Be The Change (LBTC) seeking a structured and sustainable waste-management solution under their CSR initiative. In response, LBTC launched “Namma Swaccha Madiwala,” a 6-month pilot programme focused on transforming waste handling practices in the area.

During the previous month, activities were primarily in the planning phase, which included stakeholder discussions and engagement with cloud vendors to streamline operational support.

In the current month, implementation has begun. We have hired three sweeping staff along with one supervisor and provided them with trolleys to facilitate efficient waste collection and initiate on-ground operations.

Environmental Film Festival

On 7th December 2025, a stall was set up at BIC Domlur as part of the 2025 BIC Environmental Film Festival. The festival focused on creating awareness around environmental issues, sustainability, climate action, and community-driven solutions through curated film screenings and discussions. As part of this event, our stall showcased a range of upcycled materials and sustainable products that are regularly used in our initiatives. The display highlighted practical examples of waste reduction, reuse, and upcycling, helping visitors understand how discarded materials can be transformed into useful products. We also helped them understand waste management through a fun and interactive game. The stall also served as an interactive space to engage with attendees, spread awareness about responsible consumption, and encourage sustainable lifestyle practices aligned with the theme of the festival.

Visit to Textile Recovery Facility

On 13th December, a field visit was conducted to the Chimchandra Textile Recovery Factory, located in Cheemasandra, adjacent to KR Puram. The textile recovery unit operates under the guidance and support of Hasiru Dala. The facility is headed by Indumathy, plays a key role in setting up and operationalizing the unit. A specialized machine was provided as part of the initiative.

It scans and identifies different types of fabrics, enabling effective segregation. Previously, the inability to identify fabric composition led to significant material loss. The introduction of this technology has reduced losses, improved recycling efficiency, and ensured better-quality textile recovery outcomes.

Team Meet-up

To conclude the year on a positive note, a small team meeting was organized at the office, bringing together all team members. The session included fun and interactive activities, light games, and informal discussions, creating a cheerful and engaging atmosphere. This gathering helped strengthen team bonding and allowed everyone to end the year on a happy and motivated note.

Erudition Time:

BBMP vs GBA:

BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike)

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

• BBMP is the municipal body that has traditionally managed Bengaluru.

• It handles day-to-day civic services such as:

  • Waste management

  • Roads and footpaths

  • Streetlights

  • Parks and local maintenance

• The entire city was governed under one large municipal corporation, which often led to:

  • Administrative delays

  • Overburdened officials

  • Slower decision-making

GBA (Greater Bengaluru Authority)

Greater Bengaluru Authority

• GBA is a new umbrella authority created to oversee Bengaluru’s overall planning and development.

• Under GBA, Bengaluru will be divided into multiple municipal corporations, instead of one single BBMP.

• Each corporation will have:

  • Its own mayor

  • Independent administrative setup

• All these corporations will report to GBA, ensuring better coordination.

• GBA focuses on:

  • Long-term city planning

  • Infrastructure development

  • Faster approvals and policy decisions

  • Coordination between agencies

Which corporation of GBA do you belong to ?

• Bengaluru North
• Bengaluru South
• Bengaluru East
• Bengaluru West