BENGALURU: Residents of Block B in Sector 7 of HSR Layout have rolled out a decentralised, block-level composting programme that is transforming how waste is managed in the neighbourhood. Covering nearly 750 households, the community-led initiative processes about 500 kg of wet waste every day, sharply cutting the amount of garbage sent to landfills.
The project, spearheaded by the HSR Citizens Forum, diverts close to 182 tonnes of waste from landfills annually while also reducing the need for long-distance transportation of waste. To support the effort, 20 aerobic composters — two in each lane — have been installed across the block.
Under the system, residents segregate wet waste at home, which is collected by Greater Bengaluru Authority auto-tippers and handed over to trained forum workers for on-site composting. The waste is blended with dry leaf powder, cocopeat, inoculant compost, microbial powder and cow dung slurry, and is turned every 10 days. The compost is ready in about 45 days.
Forum members said the block processes around 15 tonnes of wet waste each month, producing nearly five tonnes of compost. Half of this is reused as brown material to sustain the composting cycle, while the rest is shared among residents and used to enrich nearby parks and green spaces.
Shanthi Thummala, founding member of the HSR Citizens Forum, said decentralised composting offers a practical answer to urban waste challenges. “Handling waste locally reduces pressure on landfills and helps keep neighbourhoods cleaner and greener,” she said.
BNS Ratnakar, a resident of HSR Layout, said the initiative highlights how citizen-led efforts can strengthen civic waste management systems. “This model shows that communities can take ownership of waste management with the right training and support,” he said.
While composting is not new to the HSR Citizens Forum, members claim this is the first initiative in Bengaluru where an entire block of independent houses is linked for collective wet waste composting. The Solid Waste Management Round Table has previously trained several communities and apartment complexes to process wet waste on-site, instead of sending it to landfills.
Forum members added that the compost produced could also be used by civic agencies for roadside trees, public parks and other green spaces. The project is supported through PVH Arvind’s CSR initiative, with waste collection handled by GBA staff and technical guidance provided by the HSR Solid Waste Management team.
Civic experts say such decentralised composting models are scalable and can be replicated by resident welfare associations and layouts across Bengaluru.
