How 28 women from a small Kerala village turn rubbish into rupees 25,000 a month, and a greener future

In a quiet corner of northern Kerala, a group of 28 women are redefining environmental activism and women’s empowerment, one bag, pot, and repaired LED bulb at a time.

In the village of Kannapuram in Kannur district, the women of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) are leading a silent green revolution. Traditionally confined to waste collection and sanitation work, they have now become entrepreneurs, environmental stewards, and community leaders, turning trash into income, dignity, and climate-positive action.

The HKS team has embraced upcycling and waste reduction in ingenious ways. Old clothes, collected from households, are repurposed into eco-friendly bags, home décor pots, and composting aids. Discarded LED bulbs are carefully restored and reused, and single-use plastics at weddings and functions are being replaced by rentable steel plates and glasses under their Haritha Mangalyam initiative.


“These activities not only reduce the village’s carbon footprint, but also offer meaningful income to the women,” said Sujna M, Kannur District Resource Person for the Suchitwa Mission, speaking to PTI.

The grassroots innovations have been so successful that the women’s average monthly income has jumped from approximately Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 since the project launched in October 2024.

Headed by Nishita, the 28-member team operates across 14 wards, working in four clusters. They collect non-degradable waste from households within the first two weeks of the month. The remaining days are spent running micro-enterprises based on community orders.

"Since starting these initiatives, our income has increased significantly. It's also rewarding to know we're helping both the environment and the local community,” said Nishita, who has been with HKS for six years.

Items are affordably priced: eco-pots cost Rs 50–Rs 100, reusable bags are just Rs 5, and LED bulb repair services are offered for Rs 40 per unit. The repaired bulbs are either returned to households or used internally by the team.

Beyond eco-products, HKS members also operate a profitable dishwashing and house-cleaning unit, further adding to their income and making them less reliant on the fees from waste collection alone.

Training Behind Bars and in Classrooms

Beyond just production, these women are educators. The HKS team has been invited to train students in schools, colleges, and even inmates at the central prison in Kannur, passing on their skills and vision for a greener future.

"This initiative isn't just about income. It's about building confidence and showing that waste can be a resource when handled with creativity and responsibility," said Rathi, president of the Kannapuram Grama Panchayat.

A Model for the State

Kannapuram is one of five panchayats chosen for a pilot green initiative programme in Kannur district, along with Chapparapadavu, Payam, Kadirur, and Peralassery. These models aim to demonstrate how HKS-led initiatives can achieve complete waste management, reduce landfill burden, and lower emissions at the community level.

“Chapparapadavu, for instance, achieved total waste collection in just 10 days,” said Sujna. “Now we’re setting up organic waste collection units to convert kitchen waste into fertiliser for crops.”

The Bigger Green Picture

Kerala has increasingly embraced “Haritha” (green) reforms across various sectors. Kannur district now boasts the first green-certified railway station and the first eco-conscious jail in the state.

“These HKS-led microenterprises give women a reliable, sustainable income during the half of the month when waste collection work is paused,” said Sujna. “Due to the possibility of urgent assignments, they cannot take up regular jobs or even MGNREGA work. These in-house initiatives keep them engaged, empowered, and earning.”

With participants aged between 37 and 65, the programme is proving that age is no barrier to innovation. Through sustainable practices and community-rooted enterprise, the women of Kannapuram are not only helping clean up their village, they’re showing the rest of the state, and the country, how waste can be turned into worth.

Inputs from PTI