Delhi towering Bhalswa landfill a long-standing symbol of the city environmental crisis is now fueling a breakthrough in sustainable construction. Engineer Vipul Singh and architect Gunraagh Talwar have successfully upcycled 100 tonnes of the landfill’s accumulated “legacy waste” into approximately 50,000 durable, eco-friendly bricks, proving that even mountains of garbage can be transformed into building blocks.
Vipul Singh, who founded the ‘Tapas Foundation’ for environmental action launched the ‘Upcycling the Legacy Waste project in 2023 after being shocked by the sight of Bhalswa’s massive refuse mound, which contaminates local water and air. He collaborated with architect Gunraagh Talwar, who had been experimenting with turning construction and demolition (C&D) waste into building material.
The core innovation involved blending the soil-like residue from the landfill with recycled C&D waste. Through repeated testing and iteration, Gunraagh developed a durable mix that met construction standards.
These eco-bricks offer three major advantages over traditional methods:
• Cleaner Process: Unlike conventional red clay bricks, which are banned in Delhi and release carbon through kiln-firing, eco-bricks are set using water and a small amount of cement (currently 10–12 percent), resulting in zero kiln emissions.
• Local Production: Traditional bricks are costly to import from neighboring states. Eco-bricks can be produced directly within Delhi using local waste, significantly cutting both transport costs and emissions.
• Resource Conversion: The bricks convert accumulated trash including recycled sand, aggregates, and soil-like residue into a valuable construction material.
The initial batch of 50,000 bricks has already been deployed in landscaping, footpaths, and non-structural civil infrastructure projects, demonstrating their viability.
Overcoming Challenges and Scaling Up
The team faced initial hurdles proving the product’s quality, rigorously testing the bricks to ensure they were as strong as, or stronger than, regular bricks. Cost remains a challenge at smaller scales, but a breakthrough partnership with a global engineering consultancy provided crucial support, allowing the Tapas Foundation to rent a site, install machinery, and begin production.
The project is now focused on moving the eco-bricks into the mainstream market to make the production unit self-sustaining and commercially viable. Both Vipul and Gunraagh see the model as a powerful solution for waste management across India.
“Cities across India are struggling with legacy waste and overflowing landfills,” said Vipul Singh. “If replicated, this model can not only reduce waste but also create useful construction material and local employment.”