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Sattva Group, in partnership with Knowledge Realty Trust and rePurpose Global, has advanced the Karnataka Zero Waste Initiative with a field visit across key waste management and coastal restoration sites in Dakshina Kannada. Launched on Earth Day 2026, the three-year programme aims to recover between 3.5 million and 4.5 million kilograms of waste, integrate 80,000 households into formal waste management systems and reduce plastic leakage across 50 coastal villages. During the visit, representatives reviewed operations at Someshwara Beach, Kadeshwalya village, Pachanady and the Bantwal Material Recovery Facility. The initiative has already recovered more than 1.5 lakh kilograms of dry waste and processed over 50,000 kilograms of low-value plastic, while supporting waste workers and strengthening local waste management infrastructure.
Sattva Group, Knowledge Realty Trust and rePurpose Global have taken forward the Karnataka Zero Waste Initiative through a field visit across coastal and waste management locations in Dakshina Kannada, underscoring progress made under the three-year environmental programme launched on Earth Day 2026.
Representatives from the organisations visited Someshwara Beach, Pachanady, Kadeshwalya and the Bantwal Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on May 23 to review ongoing waste recovery efforts and assess intervention areas aimed at reducing plastic pollution and strengthening local waste management systems. The initiative seeks to recover between 3.5 million and 4.5 million kilograms of waste over three years while bringing 80,000 households into formal waste management networks and reducing plastic leakage across 50 coastal villages in Karnataka.
The programme also aims to support 200 waste workers, predominantly women, through livelihood opportunities and skills development initiatives. The visit was led by Shivam Agarwal, Vice President – Strategy at Sattva Group, and Aditya Siroya, Co-Founder and Advisor at rePurpose Global.
At Someshwara Beach, the team participated in a coastal clean-up drive alongside around 40 community volunteers. More than 250 kilograms of waste were collected during the exercise, highlighting the scale of plastic pollution affecting Karnataka’s coastline. Plastic waste continues to account for a significant share of the material reaching coastal areas, making shoreline interventions a key component of the programme.
Agarwal said sustainability initiatives become meaningful when they are implemented directly within communities facing environmental challenges. He noted that on-ground participation and continued engagement would remain central to the programme’s objectives.
The delegation later visited Kadeshwalya village, where local representatives demonstrated household waste collection and segregation systems currently in operation. The team also reviewed infrastructure requirements along the Netravathi river, which has been identified as an important intervention point for preventing plastic waste from reaching the Arabian Sea.
The visit concluded at the Bantwal Material Recovery Facility, where discussions focused on waste processing operations and the role of waste workers in supporting circular waste management systems.
Jiji Thomas, Head – ESG and Sustainability at Knowledge Realty Trust, said the organisation remained committed to generating positive environmental and social outcomes beyond its real estate portfolio. He noted that the early results achieved through the initiative demonstrated the benefits of collaborative action involving private organisations, communities and local institutions.
According to programme data, more than 1.5 lakh kilograms of dry waste have already been recovered, while over 50,000 kilograms of low-value plastic have been ethically processed. The initiative currently supports 20 waste workers and has established engagement with more than 30 gram panchayats. It is being implemented with support from the Dakshina Kannada Zila Panchayat and Mangala Resource Management.
Siroya said the field visit highlighted both the scale of the environmental challenge and the importance of investing in long-term waste management systems. He added that the partnership was helping develop a scalable model that could reduce plastic leakage while strengthening environmental stewardship.
By the end of 2026, the Karnataka Zero Waste Initiative targets the recovery of more than 10 lakh kilograms of dry waste, including 4 lakh kilograms of plastic, while expanding support to 60 waste workers and delivering awareness and capacity-building programmes across at least 15 villages in Dakshina Kannada.
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