Founder: Wilma Rodrigues

Portfolio Partner: 2015

Operational States: Karnataka

Saahas Zero Waste (Saahas) collects and processes waste from corporate offices, residential apartments, manufacturing facilities, schools, hotels and hospitals across Bangalore and Chennai. The company employs former “rag pickers” - ultra poor women who previously worked in hazardous conditions scavenging through landfills and other trash dump sites for any items that could be sold to scrap merchants.

Saahas provides each employee with a reliable salary, healthcare, pension, insurance benefits, and opportunity to build new skills and knowledge. The company emphasizes a safe and dignified work environment with adequate protective gear and training for hygienic waste handling practices.

Visit their website to learn more.

After moving from Mumbai to Bangalore and witnessing the severe waste problem, Wilma Rodrigues founded NGO Saahas in 2001 to tackle plastic pollution and develop decentralized waste solutions. In 2013, Saahas evolved into Saahas Zero Waste, where she serves as CEO. The organization now manages around 100 tonnes of waste daily, focusing on resource recovery, zero waste systems for corporate campuses, and EPR compliance for brands. Their work demonstrates how nature, people, and technology can effectively collaborate to recycle resources.