UFlex, India’s largest multinational flexible packaging and solutions company, has partnered with UN Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI) to launch a three-year initiative aimed at empowering waste workers in Noida and Greater Noida. The programme seeks to improve the lives of informal waste workers while promoting sustainable plastic waste management through a community-centric and inclusive approach.
The initiative aims to enable nearly 3,500 informal waste pickers and waste workers to access improved livelihood opportunities, occupational safety measures, capacity-building programmes, and greater social recognition, while strengthening plastic waste collection, segregation, and recycling systems across selected high-impact clusters in the region. It is also expected to significantly increase worker incomes while improving financial stability, access to safer working conditions, skill development opportunities, and dignity and inclusion within the formal waste management ecosystem. In addition, the initiative will extend awareness outreach to more than 30,000 households and institutions, demonstrating how environmental responsibility can create meaningful social and economic opportunities.
The project adopts a community-centric approach by strengthening existing waste management systems through partnerships with municipalities, recyclers, community institutions, and civil society organizations, instead of creating new large-scale infrastructure.
The initiative will organize waste workers into structured groups and cooperatives, provide training in scientific waste handling and occupational safety, establish decentralized plastic waste aggregation centers, and operationalize a recycling hub in collaboration with ecosystem partners. It will also undertake awareness campaigns on responsible plastic consumption and source segregation, deploy digital waste-flow monitoring systems to improve traceability, and facilitate stakeholder collaboration to enhance the overall efficiency of the recycling ecosystem.
The project is expected to contribute to a 30-40% reduction in unmanaged plastic waste across the identified intervention areas through improved segregation and recycling mechanisms by the end of the project.
Commenting on the partnership, Jeevaraj Pillai, director-sustainability, UFlex, said, “At UFlex, we believe that sustainability is about creating opportunities that improve lives while protecting the environment. Every day, thousands of waste workers perform an invaluable service by keeping our cities clean, yet many continue to work without recognition, security, or opportunities for growth. Through our partnership with UN Global Compact Network India, we aspire to change that by empowering waste workers, enhancing their livelihoods, improving workplace safety, and restoring the dignity and recognition they deserve. The initiative reflects our belief that lasting change begins with empowering people, supporting communities, and working together towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.”
Ratnesh, executive director, UN Global Compact Network India, added, “Building a sustainable economy requires collaboration across industry, communities, governments and the informal workforce. This initiative demonstrates how partnerships can transform environmental challenges into opportunities for social inclusion and sustainable development. By empowering waste workers and strengthening local recycling ecosystems, we hope to create a model that can inspire similar interventions across the country.”
The initiative aligns with national priorities under the Swachh Bharat Mission, India’s circular economy agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
