World Environment Day 2025: India’s Founders Share How They’re Innovating to Beat Plastic Pollution

On World Environment Day 2025, with the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” the world focuses on reducing plastic waste. India alone generates over 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, much of which ends up in landfills, rivers, or informal channels. Despite policies like the Plastic Waste Management Rules and EPR mandates, recycling remains limited.

StartupTalky spoke to changemakers across India’s climate and waste-tech ecosystem to understand how they’re tackling plastic pollution, innovating alternatives, and overcoming myths that stall progress. From ethical recycling systems to compostable packaging, their work proves that circular innovation is not just possible, but essential.

Turning Unrecyclable Waste into Construction-Grade Products

Swachha Eco Solutions in Bengaluru addresses the challenge of low-value plastic waste that typically ends up in landfills or is burned.

Victoria D’Souza, Co-founder, Swachha Eco Solutions, explained, “We convert multilayer and hard plastics into durable construction materials such as tiles and irrigation pipes.”

With 27 decentralised dry waste collection centres, Swachha blends technology with grassroots partnerships, enabling local recycling of plastics once deemed unrecyclable. Their approach not only reduces environmental burdens but also creates livelihoods. Victoria stresses the need for India to shift from a linear to a circular mindset and for stronger enforcement of producer responsibility. She highlighted the misconception that recycled plastics are inferior, emphasising the durability and climate benefits of local recycled products.

AI-Powered Recycling That Pays for Itself

Plannex Recycling in Gurugram uses AI-driven material recovery systems to segregate complex plastic waste efficiently.

Yuvraj Bhardwaj, CEO, Plannex Recycling said, “We upcycle low-value plastic into durable products like eco-pavers, allowing governments and institutions to meet sustainability  targets without compromising performance or cost-effectiveness.”

Their innovation turns previously unviable plastic waste into commercially valuable infrastructure materials. Yuvraj points out the widespread misconception that alternatives are costly or less durable, underlining the importance of awareness around the full lifecycle costs of plastic pollution. He advocates for business-led circular economy incentives and stronger embedding of sustainability in commercial models.

♻️ Circular Economy for Packaging Waste

ReCircle builds ethical circular systems that empower brands to comply with extended producer responsibility and close the loop on packaging waste.

Rahul Nainani, CEO & Co-Founder, ReCircle, explained how their platform, ClimaOne, ensures full traceability of waste, turning it into a valuable resource. He emphasises the necessity of combining grassroots action with corporate accountability to create a circular economy culture in India. The company focuses on transparency and measurable impact, helping brands go beyond offsetting to achieve real sustainability outcomes.

🌱 Faith-Based Packaging: Cutting Plastic from Rituals

Plastic packaging in religious offerings often escapes scrutiny. Nidhi Sabbarwal, founder of Kalyanamm Holy Waste, is changing that.

“We’re replacing plastic in pooja packaging with 100% biodegradable and compostable alternatives,” she highlighted. “Our wrappers are made from craft paper and natural materials that support traditional values while protecting the environment.”

By combining cultural sensitivity with sustainable innovation, Sabbarwal is proving that tradition and environmentalism can go hand in hand.

📦 Sustainable Packaging at Scale for D2C Brands

The shift in consumer expectations has driven demand for eco-friendly packaging, and DCGpac is meeting it.

“The greatest hurdle is the myth that sustainability always means increased cost or reduced performance,” said Suresh Bansal, Founder & CEO, DCGpac. “We use AI-driven demand forecasting and design innovation to reduce packaging volume and carbon footprint, without compromising protection or branding.”

Today, over 30% of packaging orders on their platform include sustainability filters, a sign of how consumer pressure is reshaping supply chains.

♻️ Plastic Credits That Actually Work

EKI Energy Services focuses on scalable plastic credit projects that promote collection, recycling, and responsible disposal with full traceability and impact verification.

Manish Dabkara, Chairman and Managing Director, EKI Energy Services and President Carbon Markets Association of India, explained that their approach integrates plastic credits with carbon and sustainability goals, supporting both environmental restoration and social upliftment.

The company’s model empowers local waste workers and drives verified climate action. Dabkara highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among policy, industry, and communities to build a circular economy mindset in India. A key challenge they face is the misconception that plastic alternatives are costly or less effective, which they address through education, policy support, and real-world success stories.

Waste-to-Fuel Tech Is Getting Cleaner

Blue Planet Environmental Solutions addresses the challenge of non-recyclable plastic waste such as multi-layered wrappers, laminate tubes, PET bottles, and detergent sachets, which are often excluded from conventional recycling. Their proprietary Thermo-Catalytic Depolymerisation (TCD) technology converts contaminated and composite plastic waste into polyfuel and char. Polyfuel serves as an energy substitute in industrial operations, while char is used in road construction and tyre manufacturing.

Prashant Singh, CEO and Co-founder, Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, explained, “Our decentralised process handles a wide range of plastics without extensive pre-treatment, producing fuel substitutes and materials for immediate industrial use.”

He emphasised the need to embed circular infrastructure alongside policy, calling for accelerated implementation of EPR-linked processing hubs and stronger municipal-private partnerships in India. Singh noted that a common misconception is that waste-to-fuel technologies are unproven or risky; however, Blue Planet’s modular, decentralised plants demonstrate that these systems can be safe, scalable, and commercially viable.

Wellness with a Sustainable Heart

Traya integrates sustainability into personal care by focusing on refillable bottles and eco-conscious product design.

Saloni Anand, Co-Founder of Traya, said, “The most crucial change we need is not just infrastructural, but cultural. Moving beyond plastic in India requires rethinking convenience and affordability, two pillars that currently drive plastic consumption.”

She highlighted the misconception that plastic alternatives are impractical or too expensive, and noted, “There’s a growing, informed segment especially among younger consumers that actively seeks environmentally responsible choices.” Traya advocates collaboration across brands, material scientists, and policymakers to make sustainable options accessible and scalable.

🛣️ The Way Ahead

These founders work in different areas like AI, plastic credits, packaging, and recycling, but they all agree: plastic should be reused as a resource, not thrown away.

To make this happen, brands must invest in sustainable options, consumers need to choose eco-friendly products, and governments should encourage real recycling systems.

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StartupTalkyMuskaan Kapoor