Environment Friendly Job: Raddi-wala

We in India have been environment friendly for a long time. Our re-cycling also keeps in mind the economics. Today I present the "raddi-wala'. The old newspapers and magazines are called 'Raddi'. It is customary for Indian households to stock a stack of old newspapers. Depending on the space in home and the newspapers a household subscribes to, the stack of 'raddi' varies from a minimum of 5Kg to as much as 20Kgs in some households.


This is Janakraj, the 66-year-old man who has been buying the 'raddi' at my house for the last 10 years. His day starts at 5 o'clock. He goes all across Central Delhi buying 'raddi' from homes and offices. The rate at present is Rs 6 per Kg. And I sold 10Kg of old newspapers.

He weighs the newspapers, calculates the amount he will give and gives the money with a smile.
He then fills his sack with the paper.

Then off he goes to earn his livelihood and make earth a better place.



He sells his collection of old newspapers, magazines, glass bottles, old plastic containers to a wholesale "raddi-wala", who in turn sells his collection to paper mills that produce recycled paper.