A rap-led reminder urging citizens to rethink waste and everyday habits

A few weeks into the new year — when resolutions begin to wane — a city-wide initiative is reminding Bengalureans that meaningful change often lies in habits they already practise. Musician Vasu Dixit and digital creator Aiyyo Shraddha carry this message through rap-led videos that spotlight simple waste practices — from rinsing food containers to marking sanitary waste. These small, everyday actions improve recyclability and help safeguard the dignity of waste pickers.

‘This is all about continuing what already works in our lives’
For Vasu, Recycle Resolutions, a campaign by Invaluables Bengaluru felt like a natural extension of his long-standing engagement with everyday waste practices. “We keep making new resolutions, hoping they will change our lives, and then forget the old ones. This is about reminding ourselves that even resolutions need to be recycled,” he says. Shraddha agrees, adding that the initiative works precisely because it avoids drastic lifestyle overhauls. “People don’t need another big change thrown at them. The actions highlighted here were already part of our lives — they just needed to be done more consciously. When the change is small and doable, people are far more likely to stick with it,” she says.

‘A simple nudge towards a better lifestyle’
Shraddha was careful not to dramatise the message. “I didn’t want to frame this as something revolutionary or guilt-driven. It’s more like a friend nudging you and saying, ‘Hey, if you can just do this…’ People are intelligent and empathetic. You don’t have to shame them into being decent human beings.” Vasu adds, “Everybody already knows these things,” he says. “It’s not about alarming people or pointing fingers. It’s about reminding ourselves — through engaging formats — to keep doing the right things.”

‘Once waste leaves your house, it doesn’t disappear’
Vasu’s engagement with waste goes beyond awareness campaigns. “From our homes, we throw one dabba and forget it. But wastepickers deal with hundreds every day — often unwashed, leaking, and hazardous. Once waste leaves your house, it doesn’t vanish. It lands somewhere.” Shraddha agrees, pointing out that most neglect stems from thoughtlessness rather than intent. “We don’t do it intentionally, but we’re just consumed by our own. But taking one extra minute can completely change what someone else has to deal with,” she explains.

‘Using public platforms responsibly’
Both Vasu and Shraddha view their public platforms as tools to normalise better behaviour, not dictate it. Vasu believes that even limited influence carries responsibility. “I look up to sportspersons and how they live. In the same way, if people are listening to my music, it’s important to use that medium responsibly,” he says.
Shraddha notes that creators play a role in modelling everyday responsibility. “When influencers tell people exactly what they can do — without shaming them — it becomes genuinely useful,” she says.

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