Circular economy
Solid waste management has emerged as a critical issue with environmental and public health implications, in small towns and socio ecological systems in the Global South. Our work seeks to replace the current global waste management approach, based on linear centralized models with context-specific solid waste management plans that promote circularity, livelihood creation, and community entrepreneurship. We also prioritize engaging local stakeholders to design and implement customized solutions, fostering circular practices and sustainable livelihoods.
Digital literacy program for circular economy
Even after distributing over 10,000 biobins to households in Alleppey through a decentralized solid waste management campaign, effective usage remains below 10%. Living Lab Alleppey identified that this challenge likely exists across Kerala, largely due to the lack of proper user education many residents are unsure how to install, operate, or maintain the biobins. Earlier hub-and-spoke training models resulted in knowledge transmission loss, contributing to low adoption and incorrect usage.
To address this, Living Lab Alleppey has developed an online user education program that provides clear, accessible, and consistent guidance on installation, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, helping households adopt sustainable waste management practices effectively.
Localized waste management plans
Managing solid waste remains a critical challenge for small towns, where existing systems often struggle to address both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste streams. In collaboration with the local municipality, Living Lab Alleppey developed context-specific waste management plans to bridge these gaps. The work focused on improving institutional capacity, integrating decentralized processing systems, and identifying sustainable infrastructure options suited to the urban scale of Alleppey. The resulting set of recommendations provides a replicable protocol for small municipalities seeking to strengthen solid waste management while aligning with broader goals of environmental sustainability and public health.
Brand Auditing
Living Lab Alleppey recently conducted a comprehensive Plastic Brand Audit to strengthen accountability in plastic waste generation and recycling. This initiative involved local college students (govt. Collage Ambalapuzha & SN collage cherthala) , who played a central role in data collection and analysis.
Plastic waste was gathered from a key site in Vembanad Lake, providing detailed insights into the brands contributing most to pollution. The audit mapped how plastic waste circulates in the community, linking local realities with broader waste management policies.
The findings are now being used to advocate for stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms and support the development of enhanced recycling infrastructure. This project demonstrates how community-led research can generate actionable evidence, drive sustainable change, and hold producers accountable for their waste.
Vruthi
Vrithi 2025, also known as The Clean Kerala Conclave, was organized by the Suchitwa Mission, Government of Kerala, to promote sustainable waste management and circular economy initiatives. At the event, Living Lab Alleppey’s stall was awarded the Best Stall Award, recognizing its commitment to collaborative, community-led solutions.
The exhibition showcased the team’s work, including a Plastic Brand Audit conducted to enhance accountability in plastic waste management. The audit identified major polluters, mapped waste flows, and informed advocacy for stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms and improved recycling infrastructure.
Vrithi 2025 provided a valuable platform for presenting these initiatives, engaging stakeholders, and demonstrating Living Lab Alleppey’s dedication to a cleaner, healthier environment, while reinforcing the importance of community participation in sustainable waste solutions.
Alpy Gold
The Alpy Gold project addresses two interconnected challenges: inefficient urban solid waste management in Alappuzha Municipality and soil degradation with high input costs for surrounding farmers. Living Lab Alleppey developed a circular economy model using a hub-and-spoke approach, transforming organic municipal waste into a high-quality bio-compost, branded Alpy Gold, produced through decentralized aerobic waste processing units.
This initiative delivered multiple benefits. For the municipality, it converted urban waste into an economic and environmental asset, optimizing waste management systems. For farmers, Alpy Gold offered a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, helping mitigate soil degradation, enhance agricultural productivity, and improve economic viability by reducing reliance on external inputs.
The project highlights the potential of co-production and circular economy frameworks to link urban and rural systems. By connecting waste valorization with agricultural sustainability, Alpy Gold demonstrates how integrated interventions can simultaneously address environmental, social, and economic challenges, providing a model for other regions seeking sustainable nutrient circularity solutions.
Bio gas service team
To strengthen decentralized waste management and climate mitigation efforts, Living Lab Alleppey evaluated the performance and potential of household-level portable biogas systems in Alleppey. With nearly 2,500 biogas units deployed by the municipality, the assessment identified widespread system failures and maintenance gaps as key challenges.
The study highlighted the environmental and economic benefits of restoring functionality, particularly in reducing carbon emissions. In response, Living Lab Alleppey proposed a social enterprise model to implement an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) system, aiming to ensure long-term sustainability of biogas units while creating green jobs, especially in small towns where decentralized solutions are most effective.
Commercial waste value chain
Living Lab alleppey conducted a study and prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to assess and improve the management of solid waste from commercial establishments in Alleppey Municipality. The study mapped waste streams, quantified and characterized commercial waste, and identified opportunities to integrate them into efficient recycling networks.
The DPR addressed key gaps in existing semi-formal private waste handling systems, including poor segregation, unsafe disposal practices, and lack of traceability. It proposed a structured commercial waste value chain and recommended context-specific technologies to improve processing, promote accountability, and advance circularity.
The findings also informed policy recommendations aimed at strengthening waste segregation, enhancing collection systems, and increasing private sector participation, marking a critical step toward institutionalizing commercial waste management within the municipality’s broader governance framework.
Hub and spoke model for compost
To strengthen sustainable waste-to-nutrient practices, Living Lab Alleppey implemented initiatives promoting nutrient circularity and compost-based solutions in Alleppey Municipality. A hub-and-spoke model linked municipal compost supply with agricultural demand, informing a strategic report and policy brief on scaling nutrient circularity.
Municipal compost was tested for crop productivity, while composting technologies were reviewed across local bodies to identify scalable solutions. To improve quality, a fortified compost product, “Aerofert,” was developed and launched in coordination with the municipality, with supporting documentation tracking production and quality.
A pilot experiment is ongoing to assess Aerofert’s effectiveness on tomato cultivation. Additionally, an urban gardening initiative promotes the use of fortified compost in home and community gardens, accompanied by practical recommendations for broader implementation.
Urban loop
The Living Lab Alleppey Team piloted a textile waste recycling social enterprise in Kerala, collecting 300 tonnes of waste cloth to build a circular system. Despite technical recyclability, only 30% could be reused locally, with the rest transported to Panipat due to insufficient infrastructure.
The project faced high logistics costs, fragmented supply chains, and market uncertainty, ultimately leading to closure and financial loss. The experience highlighted that circular economy efforts require systemic support, including robust reverse logistics, viable infrastructure, and enabling policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Documenting these insights, Living Lab Alleppey is contributing to a policy brief to guide scalable, sustainable solutions for textile waste management in high-consumption regions such as Kerala.
Solid Waste Management Handbook
2023
In 2023, Living Lab Alleppey contributed to the development of a Solid Waste Management Handbook as part of the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign. Designed as a practical and user-friendly resource, the handbook provides local bodies with clear guidelines, best practices, and innovative approaches to strengthen waste management systems. It equips authorities with the knowledge and tools required to address challenges in both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste streams, while also promoting sustainable practices that align with Kerala’s vision of a cleaner and greener future. The handbook continues to serve as a valuable reference for municipalities and panchayats striving to build resilient and environmentally responsible waste management framework.
Zero Waste Alleppey
2021- 2023
In collaboration with IIT Bombay, KILA, and the Alappuzha Municipality, the Living Lab Alleppey Team spearheaded the Nirmala Bhavanam Nirmala Nagaram (NBNN) 2.0 campaign to transform Alappuzha into a Zero-Waste Town. While Alappuzha had earlier pioneered decentralized waste management, gaps in implementation had led to waste accumulation in public spaces.
The NBNN 2.0 initiative addressed these challenges by strengthening source-level segregation, deepening citizen participation, and driving behavioural change through community-based interventions. As a result, 86% of households adopted source-level waste management practices, marking a significant leap toward sustainability.
This milestone achievement culminated in Alappuzha being officially recognised as a fully clean city by the Minister of Local Self-Government Institutions on June 8, 2023.
Circularity and Livelihoods
A comprehensive study was undertaken to evaluate the scope and challenges faced by Alappuzha Municipality in transitioning towards a circular economy centered on recycling and reuse through local initiatives.
Key outcomes included the establishment and empowerment of the Haritha Karma Sena (Green Army) and the formalization of solid waste management systems within the municipality. Comparative studies of Haritha Karma Sena units across other local bodies provided valuable insights for strengthening operational models.
The study also emphasized training and capacity building, with a special focus on integrating women self-help groups (SHGs) into the waste management process, thereby enhancing both social inclusion and sustainability outcomes.
Campaigns
A series of community-driven campaigns were launched in Alappuzha to strengthen waste management awareness, flood prevention, decentralized waste management, and canal pollution control, actively involving school students, residents, and local institutions. The Ente Bhoomi Ente Bhavi (My Land, My Future) campaign engaged all 42 schools in the municipality, conducting informative sessions on waste management and inaugurating an aerobic compost unit to provide students with hands-on exposure. The Thelineer Ozhukum Rani Thodu Mazhayethum Munpe (Pristine Waters of Rani Canal: A Prelude to Rain) initiative addressed floods caused by waste dumping in a key canal through mass clean-ups, drawing competitions, and awareness drives involving residents. The Nirmala Bhavanam Nirmala Nagaram 2.0 (Clean Home, Clean City 2.0) campaign emphasized decentralized waste management and the creation of zero-waste neighborhoods by engaging residents through surveys, demonstrations, and collective efforts to drive behavioural change. Similarly, the CANSAN campaign focused on canal pollution and sanitation, conducting sensitization programs for students and forming CANSAN clubs to encourage youth involvement in canal governance. Collectively, these campaigns demonstrated how participatory awareness-building can transform waste management practices and promote sustainable urban resilience in Alappuzha.
Alleppey Assembly Constituency Sanitation Survey
2022
In 2022, a Gap Assessment Survey was conducted in the Alleppey Assembly Constituency to evaluate the existing sanitation landscape and identify key challenges to achieving comprehensive sanitation. A structured methodology and questionnaire were developed for the survey, ensuring a systematic approach to data collection. Volunteers from four local bodies were trained to implement the survey effectively, enabling community participation while strengthening the accuracy and credibility of the findings. The initiative provided a clear understanding of sanitation gaps across the constituency and offered valuable inputs for future planning and interventions.
Super Swapper Program
2023
As part of the Nirmala Bhavanam Nirmala Nagaram (NBNN) 2.0 campaign, Living Lab Alleppey collaborated with the Alleppey Municipality to implement the Super Swapper Program, a unique school based waste reuse initiative. The program encouraged students to bring in unused household items such as clothes, books, and toys, which were collected and sorted at the municipal material recovery facility. By giving these items a second life, the initiative nurtured a culture of reuse among children and introduced them to the principles of circular economy in a practical way. Beyond its environmental benefits, the Super Swapper Program also served as a platform for sustainability education, embedding values of resource responsibility within school communities and strengthening civic engagement. It complemented the municipality’s broader efforts to reduce waste generation, promote resource recovery, and move closer to its vision of a zero-waste town.
Study of Harita Karma Sena in Alleppey
2021
In 2021, Living Lab Alleppey conducted a comprehensive study of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) within Alleppey Municipality to better understand the operational and structural challenges faced by the initiative. The study involved detailed field assessments, stakeholder consultations, and data analysis to evaluate the functioning of HKS units. The findings were compiled into a report designed to guide the transformation of Haritha Karma Sena into a more effective, efficient, and impactful community-based waste management program. This intervention helped strengthen institutional practices, improve citizen engagement, and provided actionable recommendations for scaling decentralized waste management strategies across the municipality.
Waste Circularity-Master Plan
2022
As part of the Nirmala Bhavanam Nirmala Nagaram (NBNN) 2.0 campaign, Living Lab Alleppey collaborated with the Alleppey Municipality to implement the Super Swapper Program, a unique school based waste reuse initiative. The program encouraged students to bring in unused household items such as clothes, books, and toys, which were collected and sorted at the municipal material recovery facility. By giving these items a second life, the initiative nurtured a culture of reuse among children and introduced them to the principles of circular economy in a practical way. Beyond its environmental benefits, the Super Swapper Program also served as a platform for sustainability education, embedding values of resource responsibility within school communities and strengthening civic engagement. It complemented the municipality’s broader efforts to reduce waste generation, promote resource recovery, and move closer to its vision of a zero-waste town.
Solid Waste Gap Assessment Survey
2021
In 2021, a digital Solid Waste Gap Assessment Survey was conducted to identify challenges and inefficiencies in waste management across Cherthala and Alleppey Municipalities. Approximately 500 volunteers were trained to use the ODK Collect mobile application for systematic data collection. Living Lab Alleppey facilitated the survey by coordinating field activities, providing technical support, and ensuring the findings were actionable for municipal planning. The survey successfully highlighted gaps in collection, segregation, and disposal practices, enabling targeted interventions to strengthen local solid waste management systems and promote more sustainable urban sanitation strategies.
Study of Aerobic Composting Units in Alleppey Municipality
2022
In 2021, a detailed study was conducted to assess the performance of aerobic composting units installed across various locations in Alleppey Municipality. The assessment examined operational efficiency, economic viability, and technical challenges, while also identifying potential modifications to optimize performance. Living Lab Alleppey supported the study by providing technical guidance, coordinating stakeholder consultations, and ensuring the findings could be applied effectively by the municipality. The resulting report offered actionable insights to enhance the design, management, and sustainability of these units, strengthening decentralized organic waste management and promoting sustainable practices within the local community.
Situation Assessment of Biogas Plants
2018
In 2018, a comprehensive study was conducted to assess the status and performance of 1,500 biogas plants across Alleppey Municipality as part of efforts to advance sustainable waste management solutions. The analysis identified operational gaps and technical challenges, forming the basis for a master plan aimed at optimizing the management of these facilities. Living Lab Alleppey supported the initiative by facilitating field assessments, coordinating with local authorities, and ensuring that the resulting protocol could be effectively implemented, in collaboration with IIT Bombay and KILA. The plan included strategies to reactivate and operationalize 700 non-functional biogas plants, strengthening decentralized organic waste management and promoting renewable energy generation within the municipality.
Study of Model Haritha Karma Senas (HKS) in Kerala
2019
In 2019, a comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the performance of Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) units across multiple local government bodies in Kerala, including Vadakara, Kunnamkulam, and Guruvayur municipalities. The research aimed to identify effective green interventions and best practices that contribute to sustainable environmental management. Living Lab Alleppey supported the study by coordinating field research, facilitating interactions with local HKS teams, and analyzing implementation models for replication, in collaboration with IIT Bombay and KILA. The study’s findings provided actionable insights to strengthen HKS operations and promote environmentally sustainable practices across Kerala’s municipalities.