Resident: Iqra Malik
Ward: 01
Theme: Home Composting | Source Segregation | Waste to Wealth

At the household level, small changes in waste management practices can make a meaningful contribution towards cleaner surroundings and sustainable resource use. Demonstrating this approach, Iqra Malik, a resident of Ward 1, has adopted waste segregation and home composting to manage household waste in a responsible manner.

Iqra segregates her daily household waste into two categories: wet waste, comprising vegetable peels, fruit skins, leftover food and tea leaves, and dry waste, including plastic, paper and glass. This practice helps keep different waste streams separate and makes their further management easier.

To manage the wet waste generated in her kitchen, she has developed a small composting pit in a corner of her courtyard. The kitchen waste is added to the pit regularly, with layers of dry leaves and soil. According to Iqra, the material gradually decomposes and turns into dark compost within approximately 40–50 days.

The compost produced is used as organic manure in her agricultural beds and kitchen garden. Iqra shared that she has reduced her dependence on chemical fertilisers and observed improvements in soil fertility and the growth of vegetables. The practice has also helped reduce the quantity of household waste being discarded outside, while keeping her surroundings cleaner.