Green Worms is working to create sustainable, dignified livelihoods for waste pickers

Seattle, WA & Cambridge, MA – September 29, 2021

Upaya Social Ventures (Upaya) and The Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF) are pleased to announce their latest investments in Green Worms Eco Solutions (Green Worms), a waste management startup based in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, India. Green Worms aims to responsibly and sustainably address India’s waste problem while creating income and livelihood opportunities for waste workers. 

“Green Worms has a superior waste management solution that effectively recycles plastic and other waste,” said AB Chakravarthy, India Country Director at Upaya. “The company is well poised to create more safe, sustainable, and dignified jobs among the most vulnerable communities as they grow and expand, contributing positively to environmental impact. We're thrilled to partner with Green Worms team as they scale the company to greater heights”

Green Worms has implemented sustainable waste management solutions in more than 80 villages in southern India. So far, the social enterprise has created dignified job opportunities for over 320 women since its founding. 

Upaya and S3IDF are the first investors to fund Green Worms. The investments will enable Green Worms to expand its partnerships with women-focused Self Help Groups (SHGs) with the goal of expanding its operation to create 1,500 jobs for low-income women.

“Waste workers, as the front lines of waste collection and recycling, play a pivotal role in effective waste solutions yet have traditionally been undervalued and underappreciated” noted Elizabeth Friend, Managing Director at S3IDF. “By partnering with SHGs, Green Worms is improving waste workers’ livelihoods while also recirculating resources for positive environmental impact.”

“Our partnership with Upaya Social Ventures and S3IDF will serve as a critical building block in our exponential growth and create dignified employment for women in coastal areas, especially in towns, islands, and villages,” said Jabir Karat, Co-Founder and CEO of Green Worms. “Additionally, we will also help reduce oceanic plastic pollution by accelerating circular economy supply chains with traceability.”

Green Worms was founded in 2014 by Jabir Karat (Co-Founder & CEO) and Mohammad Jamsheer (Co-Founder & CFO). They founded the company on three core principles: minimize waste generation, divert waste from landfills, and bring dignity to people working in the waste management sector.

ABOUT UPAYA SOCIAL VENTURES

Upaya Social Ventures is fighting extreme poverty through dignified jobs. Founded in 2011, Upaya provides investment and consulting support to early-stage businesses aimed at creating jobs for the poorest of the poor. Upaya’s continually growing portfolio of impact investments has created over 24,000 lasting, dignified jobs. Endorsed by ImpactMatters as a high-impact, cost-effective nonprofit, Upaya’s teams in Seattle and Bangalore are committed to a goal of helping entrepreneurs create jobs for 50,000 people in India by 2023. To support its mission, Upaya runs an annual Accelerator Program in India focused on investment readiness for early-stage businesses creating jobs and livelihoods to lift people out of extreme poverty. 

ABOUT S3IDF

S3IDF builds inclusive market systems to promote equitable economic and social development. Since its founding in 2001, S3IDF’s teams in the US and India have supported entrepreneurs with financial, technical and business development services, enabling them to trailblaze new business models and achieve high impact in underserved communities. Learn more at https://s3idf.org/.

CONTACTS

Heather Targosz
Upaya Social Ventures
htargosz@upayasv.org 

Emma Marks
S3IDF
emma@S3IDF.org

Photo courtesy of Green Worms