Safai Saathi is a Hindi term meaning cleanliness companion. It is a respectful name for waste pickers: the women and men who collect, sort and sell recyclable material from streets, households and dumpsites.
The name recognises these workers as partners in keeping cities clean, instead of treating them as invisible. Safai Saathis recover a large share of the plastic that gets recycled in India, yet most work informally, without stable income, safety equipment or social security. Historically they collected rigid plastics that fetched a price and left low-value flexible plastic behind. Lucro buys flexible plastic directly from Safai Saathis, including in Baramati, which gives them an income from material that previously had no market, and provides training at its Avkaar Kendras.
