Elephanta Island has always held a special place in Siddhant Padte’s heart. Though he grew up in Mumbai, he remained closely connected to the island where his roots lie, returning whenever he could. In 2011, after completing his culinary arts studies in London, he took up the opportunity to run the restaurant his father operated on the island. It was here that he came face to face with the mounting waste problem, a sight that would change the course of his life and set him on a journey to restore the island’s environment.
The marine litter covering the island is waste that does not originate here but is washed ashore with every high tide, owing to the island’s geographical location. Home to UNESCO World Heritage-listed caves, Elephanta Island attracts around 3,500 tourists every day. Yet, its beaches were once clean, offering children a place to play in the sand. “As a child, I remember playing on these beaches. Today, that is no longer possible,” says Padte. The stark contrast between those childhood memories and the island’s polluted shores became the turning point that prompted him to take up the fight against marine litter.
Around 75,000 kg of waste has been recycled, while 25,000 kg has been sent for incineration |
The journey started with the launch of the ‘I Love Elephanta’ campaign, bringing together local businesses, ferry operators, tour agents and guides to take collective responsibility for keeping the island clean. “But these clean-up drives made me realise that we needed a better solution, as the trash was still going to landfill,” says Padte, who is a full-time chef. “In 2018, I established the Waste Matters Foundation (WMF). That was also the year I met my dear friend, Capt Ashwin Malwade, who is now the director of the organisation.”
In 2024, WMF launched Project GEM (Gharapuri Elephanta Manthan), which goes beyond waste management to encompass the broader restoration of Elephanta Island, integrating waste infrastructure, biodiversity surveys, sanitation and community welfare. “At its heart is India’s first island-based Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and this place ensures that waste generated by local restaurants and shops is kept out of the ocean and channelled through authorised recycling networks.
Priyanka Agrawal, Founder, Uchi Life |
Through the NGO’s efforts, 75,000 kg of waste from the island has been recycled, while 25,000 kg has been sent for incineration. Priyanka Agrawal, Founder, Uchi Life, shares, “People come to Elephanta Island for caves that are centuries old. Siddhant makes sure they don’t leave behind a very modern footprint. He grew up on the island, and he has turned clean-ups into a habit and waste into a resource through India’s first island-based Material Recovery Facility. Waste Matters has removed more than 75,000 kg of waste with nothing sent to landfill. The work is proof that change rarely arrives in a wave. It washes in bit by bit, every single day.”
If you’d like to get in touch with the NGO, you can send a DM at @gem_wastemattersfoundation.
