Overview
Philip Morris India Trading Private Limited (PM India) has entered into a partnership with Litterati, a global civic‑technology company, to commence the first phase of a twelve‑month anti‑littering programme focused on Delhi. The effort forms part of PM India’s corporate‑social‑responsibility (CSR) portfolio under Project Unmesha, which targets environmental stewardship, circularity and climate‑resilience outcomes.
Programme Details
The Delhi phase will apply Litterati’s methodology that combines community‑science participation with AI‑enabled image‑recognition technology. This approach will identify litter hotspots, map the composition of waste streams, and establish scientifically rigorous baselines across selected urban environments. The data generated will inform pilot‑scale, targeted interventions aimed at behaviour change, responsible disposal practices and waste‑recovery solutions in the identified hotspots. The partnership also intends to develop measurement frameworks that can assess the impact of interventions over time and create a replicable model for other urban settings.
Prior Anti‑Littering Activity
PM India previously conducted the #CleanWithBittu campaign on World Cleanup Day, mobilising volunteers across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The campaign removed more than 4,000 kg of litter from public spaces, diverted over 1,600 kg for recycling or composting, and avoided an estimated 2,200 kg of CO₂‑equivalent emissions.
Statements from Leadership
Navaneel Kar, Managing Director of Philip Morris India, stated that “addressing littering effectively requires more than clean‑ups alone. It requires an understanding of littering patterns, behaviours and local challenges… our collaboration with Litterati represents the next step in that journey by bringing data and evidence into the conversation.”
Dick Ayres, Co‑founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Litterati, added that “litter is often treated as a visible symptom, but understanding its sources, composition and movement requires data. Through this collaboration, we will apply Litterati’s methodology to help establish a detailed picture of litter in select urban environments, identify priority hotspots, and measure change over time.”
About the Partners
Litterati leverages community‑science contributions and AI‑driven image recognition to systematically measure, map and reduce litter at scale. Over a decade, it has engaged millions of participants across more than 100 countries, creating one of the world’s largest litter‑and‑waste datasets.
Philip Morris India Trading Private Limited is a joint venture between Philip Morris Brands SARL of Switzerland and two Indian entities—Godfrey Phillips India Limited and K.K. Modi Investment & Financial Services Private Limited. The partnership aligns with Philip Morris International’s broader sustainability strategy, which seeks to mitigate environmental impacts across the product life‑cycle through resource preservation, waste reduction, circularity and eco‑design.
Expected Impact
By integrating technology‑driven measurement with on‑ground observation and community participation, the programme aims to support more effective responses to littering challenges, contribute to the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission, and foster cleaner, more sustainable public spaces over the long term.