Curated to your needs, let us ease you into your Zero Waste Journey
Composting Solutions
At Tieedi, we are dedicated to refining composting techniques that align with the unique climatic conditions of our region, using indigenous local solutions. Our specially developed composting catalyst has proven remarkably effective, enabling composting even in colder climates and finding success in other parts of India as well. We work at both the home and community levels, offering tailored solutions to transform waste into valuable resources. Our efforts have led to the installation of community composting units in schools, monasteries, and restaurants, while over 300 households have embraced our home composting units, enjoying the benefits of turning waste into a precious asset.
Non-Biodegradable Waste Management
The Waste Innovation Center (WIC) implements a comprehensive approach to non-biodegradable waste management through its service-oriented model. Operating on a fee-based structure, the center provides regular waste collection services to neighboring villages while expanding its reach to serve various institutions with customized waste management solutions. At the facility, incoming segregated non-biodegradable waste undergoes further classification into 53 distinct categories. The center has established a multi-channel disposal system: 31 categories are channeled to scrap vendors in Siliguri, 16 types are stored at TIEEDI, 5 categories are handled through strategic partnerships, and 2 categories undergo direct processing within the WIC facility itself. This systematic approach ensures efficient waste management while creating market linkages for different types of non-biodegradable materials.
Trainings and Workshops
The Waste Innovation Center takes a flexible, needs-based approach to education through its diverse training and workshop programs. The center serves a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including organizations, corporates, students, government bodies, and individuals interested in adopting zero-waste practices. Their training methodology emphasizes hands-on learning, with participants visiting the facility for experiential training in waste management techniques. Additionally, the center conducts outreach programs, traveling to villages, panchayats, and blocks to promote decentralized waste management practices. This aligns with their core ethos of empowering communities with knowledge and expertise, enabling them to establish their own Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and implement waste management solutions tailored to their local context and capabilities.
Everyday Environmentalism Curriculum
The Everyday Environmentalism curriculum bridges the gap between traditional environmental education and practical application in students’ daily lives. Developed by Tieedi in collaboration with educationists, environmental activists, and social impact designers, this program integrates hands-on learning with Socially Useful Productive Work (S.U.P.W). While conventional Environmental Science courses often remain theoretical, this mandatory curriculum responds to growing climate anxiety among youth by providing practical, experiential learning opportunities. The program’s effectiveness has been validated through observed positive changes in students who have participated in various workshop stages, demonstrating its success in transforming environmental awareness into actionable knowledge.
Zero Waste Products
The Waste Innovation Center operates a zero-waste store that showcases practical alternatives to plastic products, featuring both sourced and in-house developed solutions. The product range includes essential alternatives like bamboo toothbrushes, foldable steel travel cups, reusable straws, homemade soaps, and cloth bags. Going beyond conventional eco-friendly products, the center also addresses mindful consumption through its food offerings, such as their specialty timboor-spiced potato chips fried in mustard oil, providing healthier alternatives to conventional snacks. Looking ahead, the center plans to expand into upcycled products once the necessary machinery is acquired, aiming to transform currently non-recyclable waste categories into valuable solutions.
Bhara Kutty (Rent a Cutlery)
The Waste Innovation Center addresses the challenge of single-use waste in event management through their innovative cutlery rental service. By providing steel plates and glasses at competitive prices, they offer a practical alternative to disposable tableware for various events and gatherings. This service directly challenges the perceived cost advantage of single-use items while significantly reducing event-related waste. The initiative demonstrates how reusable solutions can be both economically viable and environmentally responsible in the events industry.
Liquid Waste Management
The Waste Innovation Center pioneers innovative human waste management solutions through two experimental approaches: underground humanure tanks and cost-effective above-ground Syntex humanure tanks, currently serving 20 households. This system efficiently converts waste into valuable “black gold” compost, which enriches forest soil and agricultural crops. At the TIEEDI campus, their well-designed compost toilets serve over 20 people daily, conserving approximately 1,500 liters of water per day while harvesting valuable resources – natural urea from urine for forest fertilization and nutrient-rich compost from solid waste. These systems are specifically engineered with scalability and replicability in mind, making them viable solutions for broader community adoption.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
TIEEDI Permaculture Foundation
We are a non-profit organisation, catalysing systemic change to solve the waste management crisis of the Indian Himalayan Region. Registered Section 8 Company, 12A & 80G
Proudly working towards the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
