In 2021, Okapi Research & Advisory undertook an ecosystem audit to understand the solid waste management system in Chennai including the realities of plastic consumption, reuse and recycling. In addition to decoding the current state of solid waste management, the goal of the audit was to develop holistic solutions to prevent plastic leakage into the environment.

This work resulted in the Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) Report which then formed the basis for developing a community led waste management project in Kasturba Nagar, Adyar. Christened ‘We Segregate’, the initiative is aimed at changing resident behaviour to segregate their waste better.

Hook, Line and Composter is an attempt to present the We Segregate pilot as a living example of a community backed, decentralized waste management system to guide like-minded individuals who are attempting to manage their community’s waste.