Have you ever ever checked out a pile of plastic waste and puzzled if it might be become one thing else? May a chilly drink bottle or a chocolate wrapper, for instance, discover a new goal or is it doomed to finish up in a landfill or pollute our oceans?
Plastic air pollution is among the most pressing challenges to reaching a sustainable future — an all-too-familiar sight, from seashores to city streets. Aside from endangering marine life, soil fertility, and human well being, plastic waste additionally contributes roughly 3-4% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
Since plastic is a part of nearly every thing we use every day, fixing the disaster may require rethinking what occurs to plastic after we use it.
Two younger entrepreneurs, Sonal and Vaibhav, are tackling this problem head-on. Moved by the heartbreaking plastic air pollution they witnessed throughout a trek within the Himalayas, they based ‘econscious,’ a Delhi-based startup that turns post-consumer plastic into chairs, dustbins, and flower pots. To this point, econscious has recycled round 3,50,000 kg of plastic waste.
How do they do it?
On the coronary heart of ‘econscious’ lies a singular “value-based recycling expertise.” As a substitute of merely melting down plastic into pellets, a standard apply in conventional recycling, they use plastic flakes.
“Conventional recycling typically entails turning plastic into small pellets, which consumes a whole lot of power. As a substitute, we skip the pellet-making course of and use plastic flakes. This selection not solely saves power but additionally reduces our environmental affect,” shares Sonal.
This revolutionary strategy minimises power consumption and preserves the standard of the recycled materials, guaranteeing that the ultimate merchandise are sturdy and aesthetically interesting.
The method begins with meticulous assortment and sorting of plastic waste from varied sources, together with households, companies, and native communities. The collected plastic is then totally cleaned and processed into flakes.
These flakes are then compressed into eco-boards, sturdy and versatile supplies that can be utilized to create a variety of merchandise, from park benches and dustbins to planters and eco-friendly present gadgets.
This novel strategy has drawn curiosity from distinguished manufacturers, together with Bisleri, Nestlé, and HCL Basis, who’ve partnered with ‘econscious’ to utilise their sustainable options.
Whereas challenges stay, together with entry to funding and navigating advanced laws, Sonal and Vaibhav stay optimistic concerning the future. They envision a future the place plastic waste shouldn’t be a burden however a precious useful resource, remodeled into one thing lovely and helpful.
Learn extra concerning the duo’s journey right here.
Edited by Leila Badyari Castelino; All pictures courtesy econscious
