They have always scavenged for trash. But now, their skills are being used in a mainstream civic initiative that aims to give them self-respect, increase their income and keep Jamshedpur cleaner.

Inspired by a project in Bangalore, Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco, which provides civic amenities to over 7 lakh people in company command areas, roped in rag-pickers this month for doorstep waste collection and segregation in a pilot project named 2 Bin 1 Bag.

"We have chosen around 50 downtrodden rag-pickers as social entrepreneurs after training them on waste segregation. The pilot project is being carried out in residential pockets of Kadma such as ECC Flats, Farm Area and a portion of Kadma market. Based on their performance, rag-pickers can become our vendors in waste collection. They can employ more rag-pickers as we replicate the pilot project in other parts of the city," said Jusco senior executive Captain Dhananjay Mishra.

Captain Mishra added that rag-pickers, who wear uniforms of navy blue shirts and black trousers and carry ID cards, are being supervised by Jusco health department staff in the 2 Bin 1 Bag project, which follows waste segregation norms given by Union environment ministry for solid waste management.

Each rag-picker or waste collector as they are now called has a cart or van with a green bin to collect kitchen and garden wastes; a red bin for used sanitary napkins, bandages, rejected razors and blades, used syringes and injection vials; and a white bag for dry items plastic, paper, glass, rubber, cosmetics and e-waste.

Contents of the green bin go straight to the Jusco compost plant near Jubilee Park. The red bin's trash goes to the Bara landfill. The white bag items go to the dry waste collection centre at Kadma from where they reach recycling units.

While this system segregates waste, it also helps rag-pickers earn a lot more.

Jusco pays each rag-picker 80 per cent of the sum each householder gives the company for waste collection a month. This apart, rag-pickers can sell dry waste from the collection centre to scrap markets that they earlier did but now in an organised manner.

"Earlier, on a good day, I earned Rs 100 or Rs 150. Now, I earn more than Rs 400 daily," said Vishnu Sardar (28), rag-picker from Deonagar in New Baradwari associated with the project. "I can see a drastic difference in my life. I am happier, I drink less and my wife is at peace. From next month, I will send my son to school."

Jusco data suggests 350MT of waste is generated a day in Tata Steel lease areas of Jamshedpur, which has roughly 150 regular rag-pickers.