As a new year begins, resolutions often arrive with ambition but fade quickly. In Bengaluru, however, a new campaign is urging citizens to look in the opposite direction. Instead of adopting new promises, it asks people to continue habits they already know, ones that quietly make the city cleaner and safer for those who handle its waste every day.
We are talking about BBC Media Action’s Recycle Resolutions, a New Year campaign under its ongoing Invaluables initiative. The campaign encourages Bengalureans to renew three simple, everyday waste practices that have already shown measurable impact on recyclability and the dignity of informal waste pickers.
Turning proven habits into New Year promises
The campaign draws from earlier Invaluables initiatives and brings them together under a single reminder for 2026. The idea is simple. Citizens do not need new resolutions when existing habits are already working.
The three actions highlighted are Wash the Dabba, Got Old Clothes?, and Mark It Red. Each addresses a specific gap in household waste handling, while directly affecting the working conditions of waste pickers, also referred to as Invaluable Recyclers.
By framing these behaviours as renewed New Year resolutions, Recycle Resolutions aims to keep them going beyond the festive season and embed them as consistent daily practices.
What the three actions focus on
‘Wash the Dabba’ encourages households to rinse takeaway containers before disposal. According to impact evaluation research, 60 percent of those exposed to the campaign adopted the practice. Dry Waste Collection Centres across Bengaluru also reported visibly cleaner containers, making sorting safer and more efficient.
Got Old Clothes? focuses on responsible textile disposal. Citizens are urged to wash old garments and hand them over to waste pickers at nearby Dry Waste Collection Centres. The campaign helped collect 1.8 tonnes of clothing across 16 centres in a month, nearly double the usual volume.
‘Mark It Red’, the most recent intervention, addresses the disposal of sanitary and diaper waste. Households are encouraged to wrap such waste in paper and mark it with a red “X” to signal caution. The campaign saw 41 percent of the exposed audience begin to adopt this practice, reducing health risks for waste handlers.
Together, these outcomes underline why the campaign positions itself as a reminder rather than a reset.
A collective effort behind the campaign
Invaluables is part of Saamuhika Shakti, a collective impact initiative that brings together 12 partner organisations to enable waste pickers to lead safer and more dignified lives with greater agency. The effort focuses on making citizens more aware of the people behind the waste system and encouraging care at the point of disposal.
The ‘Recycle Resolutions’ campaign has also been amplified by several leading influencers and eminent people in the city. Voices supporting the initiative include comedian Aiyyo Shraddha, musician Vasu Dixit, actor Bhoomi Shetty, influencer and blogger Shiva Rai and plogging champion PlogRaja, among others.
Musician Vasu Dixit, a long-time supporter of the initiative, noted that meaningful change often comes from daily actions rather than grand gestures. Comedian Aiyyo Shraddha, who has been associated with the campaign since 2021, highlighted how such simple practices are more likely to be sustained over time.
Taking the message beyond digital spaces
The campaign has been rolled out across outdoor platforms, including select bus shelters, prominent city locations, and Namma Metro. Digital releases are planned across apartment complexes and online platforms in the coming weeks, ensuring wider reach among daily commuters and residents.
Speaking about the campaign’s creative approach, Soma Katiyar, Executive Creative Director at BBC Media Action India, said the New Year offers a strong behavioural cue to reinforce existing habits rather than introduce new ones.
Varinder Kaur Gambhir, Country Director for India at BBC Media Action, added that this phase of Invaluables brings together evidence and learning from past efforts, encouraging citizens to see waste handling as a shared responsibility.
The Logical Indian Take
Campaigns around waste often focus on awareness, but Recycle Resolutions shifts attention to continuity. By reminding citizens that small actions already practised at home have a direct impact on the safety and dignity of waste pickers, the initiative places responsibility where it belongs, with everyday choices.
As cities look for long-term solutions to waste management, sustaining simple, proven habits may be just as important as introducing new systems.
