The “Best From the Waste” initiative by the Indian Institute of Youth Welfare (IIYW) is an innovative program focused on sustainable waste management, livelihood creation, and environmental education. This initiative transforms household and community waste into useful products, while training marginalized groups — especially women and youth — in upcycling and eco-friendly practices.

By integrating environmental protection with economic empowerment, this project supports the dual mission of reducing waste and building community resilience.

Objectives

• To promote awareness on waste segregation, recycling, and environmental sustainability

• To generate livelihood opportunities through upcycling and eco-craft training

• To build a green mindset among school children, youth groups, and local communities

• To reduce environmental degradation caused by unscientific waste disposal

Key Activities

• Training in making handicrafts, bags, jewelry, and décor items from waste materials

• Workshops for women’s groups, school children, and youth clubs on waste upcycling

• Community drives on waste segregation at source, composting, and plastic alternatives

• Encouraging reuse of materials in homes, schools, and public spaces

• Promoting green entrepreneurship for self-employment

Impact

• Trained hundreds of women and young people in waste-to-wealth skills

• Established income-generating units for upcycled product manufacturing

• Conducted awareness sessions in urban slums, schools, and rural areas

• Reduced landfill waste and increased community participation in environmental action

Our Approach

• Hands-on learning with real-time product creation

• Focus on low-cost, marketable crafts made from plastic, paper, fabric, and packaging waste

• Partnerships with schools, SHGs, and eco-clubs to spread sustainability education

• Integrated with our larger efforts on environmental protection and livelihood support