Gurugram, Sept. 18 -- For 51-year-old Ajay Singh, conversations about pollution and mounting waste were not just talk. An IT professional who runs a cybersecurity firm, Singh was troubled by the amount of untreated water, food waste and plastic ending up in landfills. When he became the RWA president of Tulip Ivory in Gurugram, he saw an opportunity to test a simple idea: could a housing society treat its waste? Singh began with upgrading the society's sewage treatment plant (STP), ensuring that untreated wastewater did not flow out of the premises. Soon the society began reusing treated water, reducing reliance on fresh water and preventing discharge into drains. "That was the starting point. Once residents see that one system can work efficiently, they become more open to larger changes. People value honesty, intent and transparency, " Singh said. The next step came this January when Tulip Ivory introduced segregation of wet waste at source. As the RWA president, he installed 10 aerobins inside the society, where 170 kg of daily kitchen waste from households is converted into compost through aerobic processing. Instead of being transported to landfill sites, vegetable peels and food leftovers now return to the soil as manure used in green areas. "We incentivised the housekeeping staff and treated them with dignity. They are given masks and gloves for waste segregation," Singh said. By March, Singh turned his attention to another challenge: plastic. The society placed collection baskets across the community to gather discarded plastic items. The material was then sent to recycling firms that convert low-value plastic into durable benches. Each bench uses nearly 90 kilograms of plastic waste. Singh says that waste management does not require complex technology; it requires intent and consistency....