HPCL and Tata Motors Partner to Pilot Scalable Recycling of Used Automotive Lubricants, Advancing India’s Circular Economy Goals

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Maharatna Oil Marketing Company, and Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pilot a structured and scalable model for the responsible collection and recycling of used automotive lubricants.

This collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of two leading Indian organisations to address a critical sustainability challenge, while supporting compliance with India’s evolving Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework and advancing the country’s circular economy goals.

The initiative aims to establish an organized and traceable system for managing used lubricants—classified as hazardous waste, from collection and storage to recycling. The process will enable conversion into high-quality re-refined base oil, improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental risk. The pilot is expected to set new benchmarks for responsible waste management and support India’s transition towards a circular, resource-efficient economy.

Launching the pilot, Mr. Ch Srinivas, Executive Director – Lubes, HPCL, said: “Achieving true circularity in used oil begins with reintegrating re-refined base oil into finished lubricants. Our collaboration with Tata Motors is a significant step towards building a scalable model for used oil circularity and reducing the carbon footprint across operations.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Vikram Agrawal, Head – Parts and Services, Tata Motors Ltd., said, “Used automotive lubricant, if not handled responsibly, can cause long‑term environmental harm. Addressing this challenge calls for credible partners, clear processes and the ability to operate at scale. HPCL has been a trusted partner to Tata Motors across multiple dimensions, and this collaboration allows us to take a meaningful step towards organised and responsible recycling. With the combined strengths of both organisations, we believe this pilot can help establish a robust foundation for wider industry adoption.”

Under the partnership, HPCL will anchor the aggregation and transportation of used lubricants through authorised collection mechanisms, ensuring channelisation to registered recyclers. Tata Motors will leverage its extensive authorized service network to enable structured collection and promote responsible disposal practices across its ecosystem.

The pilot will be implemented across select states and governed by a joint committee comprising representatives from both organizations, responsible for monitoring progress and evaluating scalability.

As a holistic mobility solutions provider, Tata Motors complements its commercial vehicle portfolio with Sampoorna Seva 2.0, delivering end‑to‑end lifecycle solutions including assured turnaround times, annual maintenance contracts and access to genuine spare parts. These offerings are further strengthened by Fleet Edge, Tata Motors’ connected vehicle platform that enables data‑driven fleet optimisation and improved vehicle uptime. Tata Motors operates a network of over 4,500 sales and service touchpoints across India.

India–EU Launch €15.2 Mn EV Battery Recycling Call to Secure Critical Minerals, Boost Circular Economy, and Strengthen Green Tech Ties

India and the European Union have jointly launched a €15.2 million (~₹169 crore) call for proposals under the Trade & Technology Council (TTC) to advance EV battery recycling technologies, with submissions open until 15 September 2026. This initiative aims to secure critical minerals, accelerate the circular economy, and strengthen India–EU green innovation ties.

The goal is to recycle old electric vehicle (EV) batteries so that valuable minerals like lithium, cobalt, and graphite can be reused instead of wasted. With this, India won’t have to rely as much on buying minerals from other countries. Recycling batteries reduces pollution and supports a greener future.

Researchers, industries, and startups from both India and Europe will work together, creating opportunities in technology and manufacturing.

• Launch Date: 5 May 2026
• Submission Deadline: 15 September 2026
• Funding Pool: €15.2 million (~₹169 crore)
• EU Component: Horizon Europe programme
• India Component: Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI)

Strategic Objectives

• Critical Mineral Security: Reduce dependence on imports by recycling lithium, cobalt, and graphite.
• Circular Economy Transition: Accelerate sustainable reuse and recovery of EV battery materials.
• Industrial Deployment: Establish a joint India–EU pilot line in India for real-world validation.
• Innovation Ecosystem: Connect researchers, industries, and startups across both regions.
• Climate Commitments: Support India’s net-zero targets and EU’s Green Deal goals.

Strategic Overview

Objective	Strategic Impact
Mineral Security	Ensures resilient supply chains for lithium, cobalt, graphite
Circular Economy	Promotes sustainable recycling and reuse of EV batteries
Pilot Deployment	Validates innovative recycling processes at industrial scale
Innovation Collaboration	Strengthens India–EU research and startup partnerships
Climate Alignment	Advances shared net-zero and green transition goals

Focus Areas

• High recovery rates of lithium, graphite, cobalt
• Handling mixed battery chemistries
• Safe, digitalised collection systems
• Inclusive logistics integrating informal sector
• Second-life applications with strict safety standards

Funding Overview

Contributor	Programme	Funding
European Union	Horizon Europe	€15.2m (shared)
Government of India	Ministry of Heavy Industries	₹169 crore (shared)

Leadership Remarks

• Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood (PSA, Govt of India): “A pivotal moment in the India–EU strategic partnership.”
• H.E. Hervé Delphin (EU Ambassador): “Batteries sit at the core of the green transition.”
• Dr. Parvinder Maini (Scientific Secretary, PSA): “Catalyses momentum for a digitalized, inclusive logistics model.”
• Marc Lemaître (DG RTD, European Commission): “Strengthening bond in green innovation and resilient value chains.”

Global Significance

• Supports India’s net-zero commitments and EU’s Green Deal
• Strengthens bilateral research cooperation under TTC Working Group 2
• Positions India as a hub for advanced recycling technologies

Next Steps

• Proposal submissions open until 15 September 2026
• Pilot demonstrations to showcase innovative recycling processes
• Long-term vision: resilient supply chain for critical minerals

Flipkart Group Says It Recycled Over 67 Million Liters of Wastewater in One Year

Flipkart's water conservation efforts have also resulted in the reduction of freshwater consumption and potential recharge of rainwater at scale

It has also received the Net Zero Water certification by IGBC for its facilities, validating its conservation efforts

Flipkart Group has announced significant strides in its water conservation efforts by successfully recycling over 67 million liters of wastewater in a year across four of its facilities in Rewari and Sanpka (Haryana), Ludhiana (Punjab) and Malur (Karnataka).

The organization’s water conservation initiatives are aimed towards promoting a judicious approach to water consumption, driven by key focus areas to reduce, reuse, and recycle. These conservation efforts have also resulted in the reduction of over 14 million liters of freshwater consumption, thereby playing a key role in the conservation of the nation’s natural resources. This has been enabled by a 30% reduction in the average LPCD (liter per capita per day) at all four facilities.

In addition to this, through the establishment of groundwater recharge infrastructure, Flipkart is also prioritizing the potential recharge of rainwater while fostering a strong sense of environmental conservancy.

In alignment with the government's ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ campaign, aimed at encouraging water conservation at the grassroots level, Flipkart is proactively implementing a series of strategic measures dedicated towards water conservation.

Speaking about Flipkart Group’s water conservation initiatives, Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “At the Flipkart Group, we acknowledge the importance of natural resources and are taking conscious steps to preserve them. We believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that we set in place best practices that can have a positive impact on the environment and business ecosystem at large. Our current efforts on water conservation are aligned with this intention to not only ensure conscious usage, but to also deploy the right systems to enable recycling and recharging. The Net Zero Water certification underscores our dedication to environmental stewardship and sets a new standard for water conservation in the e-commerce sector. We are committed to continuing our efforts towards achieving this status across all our operations, contributing to a more sustainable future for generations to come."

Mr. Gurmit Singh Arora, National Chairman, Indian Green Building Council, congratulated Flipkart on this milestone achievement, stating, "Flipkart's commitment to achieving IGBC Net Zero Water ratings for four of its facilities exemplifies their leadership in sustainability. By implementing effective water management strategies, Flipkart sets a commendable example for the industry. By adopting water-efficient practices, Flipkart becomes the first e-commerce organization to achieve Net Zero Water status for four of their facilities at different locations; thereby reducing their environmental footprint and setting a precedent for fostering a more water- resilient future."

Flipkart is the first e-commerce organization to partner with the CII’s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and has received the Net Zero Water certification for four of its facilities. Awarded by IGBC, this certification highlights Flipkart’s position as an environmentally-conscious organization and emphasizes its strong stance in promoting sustainable practices, thereby contributing to a greener future.

Flipkart Group’s efforts towards achieving Net Zero Water status are aligned with its broader sustainability goals. The Flipkart Group aims to expand these initiatives to more facilities across India, demonstrating its responsible approach towards the environment.

What is Flipkart's approach towards water conservation at its four facilities in Rewariand Sanpka (Haryana), Ludhiana (Punjab) and Malur (Karnataka)?

REDUCE WATER DEMAND

Water Meter Installation: Water monitoring ensured across all critical measurementpoints through installation of water meters

Flow Restrictors Installation: Reduction of the flow rate of water for all the taps Improvement in water filtration process: Increased RO output efficiency leading to lesswater wastage

Empowerment through Education: Building awareness on water conservation for all employees via creative showcases

USE OF ALTERNATE WATER

• Usage of treated wastewater for flushing purposes, thereby saving fresh water
• Usage of excess treated wastewater for landscaping purposes, thereby saving fresh
• Water Usage of RO reject water for floor cleaning purposes which saves on fresh water usage

WATER BACK TO SOURCE

Establishment of adequate water recharging infrastructure to cater water from roof and non roof spaces to recharge.

The Flipkart Group is one of India’s leading digital commerce entities and includes group companies Flipkart, Myntra, Flipkart Wholesale, Flipkart Health+, and Cleartrip.

Established in 2007, Flipkart has enabled millions of sellers, merchants, and small businesses to participate in India's digital commerce revolution. With a registered user base of more than 500 million, Flipkart's marketplace offers over 150 million products across 80+ categories. Today, there are over 1.4 million sellers on the platform, including Shopsy sellers. With a focus on empowering and delighting every Indian by delivering value through technology and innovation, Flipkart has created thousands of jobs in the ecosystem while empowering generations of entrepreneurs and MSMEs.

Flipkart has pioneered services such as Cash on Delivery, No Cost EMI, Easy Returns, and UPI. These customer-centric innovations focus on enhancing digital payment offerings for all customers while making online shopping more accessible and affordable for millions of Indians.

Airtel Now India 1st Telco To Switch To Recycled Plastic SIM Cards

• Airtel switches to recycled PVC SIM cards – partners IDEMIA
• The initiative will limit the generation of over 165 tonnes of virgin plastic leading to a reduction in CO2 equivalent of 690 tonnes in one year

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, in partnership with IDEMIA Secure Transactions has announced that it has switched from virgin plastic to recycled PVC SIM cards. This is in line with the company’s commitment to encouraging the adoption of circular business practices. IDEMIA Secure Transactions, a division of the IDEMIA Group, is a leading provider of payment and connectivity solutions for financial institutions, mobile network operators and automotive manufacturers.

An industry first in India, Airtel is the only telecommunications service provider to switch to recycled plastic SIM cards. With this migration, the generation of over 165 tonnes of virgin plastic will be limited which will further reduce the generation of over 690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in one year.

This migration is in line with Airtel’s continued commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and promoting circularity with supplier partners and other stakeholders with the aim of encouraging them to reduce waste, recycle and reuse products.

Pankaj Miglani, Director - Supply Chain, Bharti Airtel, said, “We are delighted to announce yet another first as we continue to lead the Indian telecom industry. As a brand we endeavour to align our efforts to adopt various sustainable measures and contribute significantly towards India’s ambition to achieve net zero. Our collaboration with Idemia underscores our shared commitment to contributing to a sustainable future.”

Rahul Tandon, Senior VP - Connectivity Services, India, IDEMIA Secure Transactions, said, “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Airtel. We congratulate Airtel for taking the lead in reducing the carbon footprint and providing green solutions to their subscribers in India. I would also like to thank all our R&D teams for making such innovations possible.”

Airtel has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 50.2% by FY 2030-31 with FY 2020-21 as the base year. The company has also committed to reducing its absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42% over the same time frame. In line with this commitment, some of the key initiatives at Airtel include promoting energy efficiency, utilising open-access green energy and adopting renewable energy across operations, as well as building a climate resilient network, resource efficiency and waste management.

Carbon dioxide equivalent or CO2 equivalent is a metric used to compare the emissions from various GHGs on the basis of their global-warming potential, converted to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.

About IDEMIA Group

IDEMIA Group unlocks simpler and safer ways to pay, connect, access, identify, travel and protect public places. With its long-standing expertise in biometrics and cryptography, IDEMIA develops technologies of excellence with an impactful, ethical, and socially responsible approach. Every day, IDEMIA secures billions of interactions in the physical and digital worlds. IDEMIA Group brings together three market-leading businesses that enable mission-critical solutions:

• IDEMIA Secure Transactions is the leading technology provider who unlocks safer and easier ways to pay and connect.
• IDEMIA Public Security is a leading global provider of biometric solutions that unlock convenient and secure travel, access, and protection.
• IDEMIA Smart Identity leverages the power of cryptographic and biometric technologies to unlock a single trusted identity for all.

With a global team of nearly 15,000 employees, IDEMIA Group is trusted by over 600 governmental organizations and more than 2,400 enterprises in over 180 countries.

Reliance Industries Becomes 1st Indian Company to Chemically Recycle Plastic Waste Into International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)-plus Certified Circular Polymers

The new innovation at Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery became the first refinery to get the important ISCC-Plus Certification. 

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), operator of the world's largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex, has become the first Indian company to chemically recycle plastic waste-based pyrolysis oil into International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC)-Plus certified Circular Polymers. This new innovation is a testimony to RIL's commitment in reducing plastic waste and supporting Circular Economy in India.

Chemical recycling is a new development where the waste plastic, mechanically not recyclable, is converted to pyrolysis oil by suitable cracking of long polymer chain. Currently, most of the pyrolysis processes are based on thermal route which leads to lower yield and inferior quality of pyrolysis oil. RIL has developed a continuous catalytic pyrolysis technology which provides high yields of good quality pyrolysis oil from plastic waste. The process has been successfully demonstrated at demo scale.
RIL shipped its first batch of ISCC-Plus certified Circular Polymers, named CircuRepol™ (Polypropylene) and CircuRelene™ (Polyethylene).

RIL paves the way in India by using new technology to recycle plastic by converting plastic waste into special Circular Polymers, thereby making a positive impact on the environment. RIL’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through its innovative methods like chemical recycling which help create a Circular Economy. The company firmly believes in finding smart solutions to reduce plastic waste and inspire others to join in this journey towards a greener future.

CircuRepol™ and CircuRelene™ have been designed to lead the way in Circular Economy practices. RIL's Jamnagar refinery became the first refinery to get the important ISCC-Plus certification, proving that it can produce Circular Polymers through chemical recycling.

The ISCC-Plus certification guarantees that traceability and rules are followed in making Circular Polymers.

RIL has developed a technology that turns different types of plastic waste, including single- use and multi-layered plastics, into pyrolysis oil. The company is working with trusted partners to increase the production of this oil and turn the yield into Circular Polymers.

Chemical recycling has many benefits, including turning plastic waste into high-quality materials for new plastic. These materials can be used for packaging that comes into contact with food.

About Reliance Industries Limited

Reliance is India’s largest private sector company, with a consolidated revenue of INR 9,74,864 crore (US$118.6 billion), cash profit INR 1,25,951 crore (US$ 15.3 billion) and net profit of INR 73,670 crore (US$9.0 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2023. Reliance’s activities span hydrocarbon exploration and production, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals, advanced materials and composites, renewables (solar and hydrogen), retail and digital services.

Currently ranked 88th, Reliance is the largest private sector company from India to be featured in Fortune’s Global 500 list of 'World’s Largest Companies' for 2023. The company stands 45th in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings of 'World’s Largest Public Companies' for 2023, the highest among Indian companies. Reliance is the top-ranked Indian company and the only one in the top 100 on Forbes' 'World's Best Employers' 2023 list. Additionally, it is featured among LinkedIn’s 'Top Companies 2023: The 25 Best Workplaces To Grow Your Career In India.' Website: www.ril.com

Actor Suniel Shetty Invests in Gurugram-based Regrip, A Startup that Re-engineers Old Tyres

Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty (Suniel Shetty) has made an investment in Regrip, a Gurugram-headquartered startup brand that recycled old/used tires.

On Saturday, in an announcement event, Suniel Shetty said in a statement, "I am very excited about joining Regrip We are not only creating a new definition of recycling but also contributing to the green future by reducing waste and increasing the life of every tire. By adopting innovation and eco-friendly methods, we can create a better future for generations to come."

The actor has invested in about 6 startups so far. In early of this month only, Shetty had invested in the DIY healthcare venture ‘The Biohacker’. Prior to that, he had invested in Klassroom Edutech, in May this year, and even invested in the blockchain-run startups when he invested in Colexion, a blockchain based NFT marketplace. Shetty also has HealthTech in his portfolio as Vieroots Wellness Solutions Pvt Ltd (VWS), in which he invested in August 2020.

Announcement event (Image – Twitter/@SunielShetty_FC)

The regrip works by repairing old and worn tires and making it worth using again. These tires, which are priced at about half the price of new tires, can be used by small and medium truck transport companies.

Gurugram-headquartered Regrip uses quality grade rubber to make refurbished tyres through the process of shearing and retreading. These tyres cost half the price of new products and are used by small and medium trucking companies.

Mahavir Pratap Sharma, the first investor in the startup, said, the brand whi focuses on refurbished tyres is "a win-win solution" for his investment.

Founded in 2021, by Tushar Suhalka, Regrip make re-engineered tyres that are the high performing alternative of the new tyres for the dummy and drive axles in heavy commercial vehicles.

With these Re-engineered tyres the startup aims to help fleet owners in saving money spent on their tyre consumption with an affordable, reliable and sustainable product range.

Regrip tyres are made from refurbishing the old & used tyres using cold process retreading and converting them into reusable tyres which are equally serviceable as new tyres and the startup sell these with an unconditional warranty at half the cost of new tyres.

Notably, Tyre manufacturing process uses rubber, Carbon black and oil-based synthetic varieties as primary ingredients. However, India’s natural rubber (NR) production in 2020 has been scaled down by 42,000 tonne to 668,000 tonnes due to COVID-19, according to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC). In later, the NR production registered a growth of 8.3% but at the same time its consumption also increased to 9% in the 2022-23 fiscal compared with the previous fiscal. The production increased to 8,39,000 tonnes from 7,75,000 tonnes in 2021-22, while consumption rose from 12,38,000 tonnes in 2021-22 to 13,50,000 tonnes in 2022-23.

Thus, the country is witnessing more consumption of rubber then it can produce which isn't a good sign for industries using NR as one of its primary ingredients.

In this scenerio, startups like Regrip can play a vital role — at least for tyre industry — wherein it minimizes the use of natural rubber and recycle the used, worn-out rubbers, and bringing sustainability into tyre-consumption.

Moreover, as per Regrip's LinkedIn profile, it is also minimising the carbon footprints as it takes 22 gallons of oil to make one new average size truck tyre whereas we only use about 7 gallons to have it re-engineered for reuse thus every REGRIP tyre saves 56 litres of oil for the nation.

Prime Minister Modi Continues to Champion EcoLine Clothing's Sadri Jacket (Made Out of Recycled Plastic Bottles) at G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again showcased his commitment to eco-friendly fashion by wearing the exquisite "Chandhan" shade Sadri jacket, proudly presented by EcoLine Clothing. The jacket, made from recycled PET bottles, garnered attention during the ongoing G7 Summit in Japan.

After donning the jacket during the Lok Sabha budget session, PM Modi's decision to wear it once again at the G7 Summit reaffirms his commitment to promoting eco-friendly practices.

As a global leader, his fashion statement carries significant symbolic weight, inspiring world leaders and citizens alike to take action and protect our environment. Repeatedly supporting eco-friendly practices, PM Modi exemplifies how even the smallest sartorial decisions can convey profound messages. His attire serves as a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard our planet and mitigate the effects of climate change.

"We are immensely thrilled and honored to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi choose to wear the Sadri jacket presented by EcoLine Clothing once again," said Senthil Sankar, Managing Partner at EcoLine Clothing. "We are truly amazed and deeply grateful for his continued endorsement. It is a testament to our shared vision of promoting eco-friendly practices and creating a greener future. We remain committed to delivering high-quality, environmentally conscious products, and we are inspired to further innovate and contribute to the cause of sustainability."

About EcoLine Clothing (Shree Renga Polymers)

Shree Renga Polymers, the parent company of EcoLine Clothing, is a pioneering force in PET bottle recycling and sustainable textiles in India. Established in 2008 by Mr. K. Sankar, the company's dedication to innovation and tech-savvy solutions has propelled it to prominence. Backed by cutting-edge German technology, our production lines deliver exceptional quality and efficiency. We specialize in manufacturing dope dyed colors and specialty recycled polyester fibers, providing eco-friendly clothing options to conscientious consumers worldwide. Our production lines exemplify excellence in quality and productivity, specializing in dope dyed colors and specialty recycled polyester fibers.

Bisleri International Partners With Connecting Dreams Foundation and Bharati College for Responsible Plastic Disposal and Recycling

Exhibiton of recycled plastic items

On the occasion of Children's Day, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. has collaborated with youth changemakers of Delhi to drive the cause of appropriate plastic segregation, disposal, and recycling under its flagship sustainable program - Bottles For Change. As a part of the initiative, the organization has partnered with Connecting Dreams Foundation and Bharati College, affiliated with Delhi University, to mobilize college students in Delhi and drive a movement by creating awareness about used plastic and building a plastic circular economy. The program was launched at Bharati College today through a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the recyclable benches made from MLP plastic by Shri. Kumar Abhishek, IAS Deputy Commissioner, West Zone, MCD & Nodal Officer Swachh Bharat Mission.

The partnership aims to sensitize students about the 3R principle of circular economy, i.e. Recover, Recycle and Reuse. The objective is to value plastic as a raw material and not consider it a waste, thus, bringing a behavioural change by ensuring appropriate disposal of plastic and preventing it from entering landfills.

Inauguration of recycled benches made from MLP Plastic

Speaking at the event, Chief Guest Shri. Kumar Abhishek, IAS Deputy Commissioner, West Zone, MCD & Nodal Officer Swachh Bharat Mission, said, "Waste management is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Creating awareness of responsible ways to dispose of and recycle used plastic is essential. Since the youth are our future, we need to start sensitizing them at a young age by educating them about plastic waste management and being able to build a circular economy. This association of Bisleri International with the youth is a step towards encouraging the young minds to understand the importance of used plastic like we see with the benches being transformed and repurposed innovatively."

 

Speaking about the association, Angelo George, CEO of Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., said, "We aim to collaborate with citizens, especially the youth, to achieve our common goal of building a circular economy. We want to build a powerful network of influential changemakers passionate about sustainability and committed to driving transformational change across the country. Through this initiative, we will continue to underline the importance of responsible disposal and recycling of used plastic to redefine plastics' outlook from waste to wealth".

Prof. Rekha Sapra, Principal Bharati College, Mr. K Ganesh SGM Sustainability and OSR, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, Mr. Ashish Jain, Director of Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) and Dr. Amit Tuteja, Founder, Connecting Dreams Foundation India were present. The occasion concluded with a vote of thanks presented by Dr. Kalpana Kataria- Co-convenor, CDF, Bharati Chapter and was followed by an exhibition on plastic waste management.

Bisleri International has collected and recycled more than 6000 tons of plastic as part of the Bottles for Change program. The campaign has helped bring behavioural shifts among 600,000 citizens. It has over 2700 housing societies, 600 educational institutions, 500 corporates, 500 Hotels and restaurants registered under this programme that are disposing of used plastic. Currently, the Bottles for Change program is running in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Ghaziabad, Chennai and will soon expand its reach to Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune.

About Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd

With a legacy of over 50 years, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd has grown to become one of the largest premium beverage businesses in India. Being the makers of the country's largest-selling mineral water in India, Bisleri follows a stringent method of a 10-stage purification process and 114 quality tests, which stands true to its promise of providing customers with safe, pure and healthy mineral water.

Bisleri International has a strong presence with 133 operational plants and a robust distribution network of nearly 4,000 Distributors and 5,000 Distribution Trucks across India and neighbouring countries. It offers a range of premium beverages that are produced for all occasions. Whether it is the promise of goodness, trust and purity with Bisleri Mineral Water, a daily dose of health with Vedica Himalayan Spring Water, or fun-filled refreshment with a diverse range of drinks available in many flavours – Limonata (Limey minty cooler), Spyci (Masala with fizz), Fonzo (Mango with fizz). Bisleri products are also available on the e-commerce platform - Bisleri@Doorste. This one-stop platform was designed to reassure customers that they will receive a safe and uninterrupted supply of their most trusted brand at their doorstep.

Bisleri International's growth in India has been piloted by its vision of being a leader in the premium beverage category through sustainable efforts undertaken to help the community and safeguard the environment. The core values of Bisleri International lie in yielding growth and embedding sustainability by being responsible in all aspects of the business. For more information on Bisleri International, our people, brands, and OSR initiatives, visit www.bisleri.com. 

Sustainable Computer Chip Made Using Mushroom Skin is Easily Recyclable

In a "global first" that could result in more sustainable electronics, Scientists at Johannes Kepler University, Austria have dubbed the new innovative substance "MycelioTronics" from mushroom skin, which could help eliminate electronic waste and offer a new platform for conformable and wearable electronics, among other uses.

The mushroom skins only need waste wood to grow. Using mushroom skin to make the base of computer chips and batteries would make them easier to recycle. 

All electronic circuits, which consist of conducting metals, need to sit in an insulating and cooling base called a substrate. In almost every computing chip, this substrate is made from unrecyclable plastic polymers, which are often thrown away at the end of a chip's life. This contributes to the 50 million tonnes of electronic waste that is produced each year

"The substrate itself is the most difficult to recycle," says Martin Kaltenbrunner at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. "It's also the largest part of the electronics and has the lowest value, so if you have certain chips on it that actually have a high value, you might want to recycle them."

In an accidental scientific discovery, scientists discovered that in order to protect itself from pathogens and other fungi, glossy paint fungus forms a closed mycelium skin on the surface of its growing medium. It turns out that this skin can be easily removed then processed further.

The skins are created using the saprophytic fungus Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom which grows naturally on dead hardwood trees. The electronic circuits are deposited on the skin using physical vapor deposition of thin metal that is then ablated by laser. The resulting electronic circuit has high thermal stability and can withstand thousands of bending cycles.

Kaltenbrunner and his colleagues have now tried using skin from the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum to act as a biodegradable electronic substrate.

The resulted material from mushroom skin is robust, flexible, and has heat resistant properties. The mushroom skin is  surprisingly heat-resistant, able to withstand temperatures of up to 250°C. This is an important factor when building circuits.

This could potentially become a polymer substitute for polymers currently used in making flexible electronic components.

Re Sustainability to Recycle 30000 Tonnes of the Supertech Twin Towers Demolition Waste

Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar | The Hindu

The demolition of the Supertech twin towers has left the city with obvious remnants that need to be treated on an urgent basis. Close to 30000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste was generated within 10 seconds of the demolition event.

Re Sustainability (formerly known as Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, Asia’s leading environmental management and circular company has been given the responsibility to deal with the Construction & Demolition waste generated, to ensure efficient waste collection and recycling and resource recovery. The company will process 300 tonnes of waste daily at their state-of-art Construction & Demolition Waste processing and Recycling facility in Noida in a span of three months.

Masood Mallick, CEO, Re Sustainability, said, “Re Sustainability is happy to take up this crucial responsibility of recycling C&D waste and converting that into construction materials. We will execute and direct all our efforts to speed up the process and ensure sustainable resource recovery. Coming to our partnerships with industries, we are looking forward to witnessing great infrastructure built with the recycled materials that are exclusively made by our Construction & Demolition plant at Noida.”

Being an industry leader, Re Sustainability has pioneered several sustainable solutions across the country. The Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling plant at Sector-80, Noida has to be one of the most efficient C&D projects of the country. The PPP plant addresses the long-standing issue of construction debris dumping on roadsides, open plots and other places eradicating the potential environmental hazards. The finished recycled products from the plant include manufactured sand, aggregates, tiles, paver blocks and pre-cast concrete products. All of these products substitute sensitive natural resources.

About Re Sustainability Limited:

Re Sustainability Limited (RE), a KKR-backed company, is one of Asia’s leading providers of comprehensive environment management services. RE offers a whole gamut of environmental services and infrastructure solutions under various categories such as Waste Management – hazardous, municipal, and biomedical, MAR POL, construction waste & e-waste; Waste to Energy; Recycling – wastewater, paper, plastic, and integrated waste; Environmental Solutions such as remediation, ETPs and wastewater treatment; automated car park management and Facilities Management.

RE has a growing global footprint, including over 85 operating locations spread across India, Singapore, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Tanzania and USA. With over 25 years of operational history, RE has a dominant presence across the entire waste value chain and has been a long-standing partner in the environmental solutions space to its customers.

Sustainable Water-Tech Startup, Uravu Labs, Raises Seed Funding Led by Anicut Capital, Rocketship.vc and Speciale Invest

The funding round was led by Anicut Capital and co-led by Rocketship.vc and Speciale Invest and saw participation of investors from India, Europe, and the US.

Capital to be utilized for tech commercialization and expansion into new geographies

Uravu Labs, a Bangalore based startup focused on building a renewable water infrastructure, has recently announced its seed round of funding. The lead investor in the round was Anicut Capital and it was co-led by Rocketship.vc and Speciale Invest. The company also received participation from investors like Vesta (France), Venture Catalysts (India), Verso Holdings (Luxembourg), Spectrum Impact (India), Echo River Capital (US) and other angel investors from India, the US and the Middle East.

The company plans to utilise the capital to scale its 100% renewable water technology. Their unique technology harnesses inexhaustible atmospheric moisture and uses only renewable energy to produce high-quality drinking water. The industrial-scale and affordable solution has the ability to transform various markets - primarily the beverage industry, real estate and hospitality sectors, and will be commercialised by 2023.

Founded in 2019 by Pardeep Garg, Swapnil Shrivastav, Venkatesh R, and Govinda Balaji, Uravu Labs is dedicated towards bringing the next water revolution. Uravu Labs is thus eyeing to expand its team in R&D, engineering, marketing and business development roles to support its growth and commercialisation in the next two years through the new funds.

The company has signed beverage giants such as AB InBev and Radico Khaitan as customers and is reaching out to many more beverage and commercial customers in the Indian, Southeast Asian, Middle East, and Japanese markets. The fresh funding will build the path for further expansion in these geographies. The company also plans to work with strategic government and CSR partners to reach drought-stricken remote areas in India and Africa by next year.

Speaking on the announcement, Dr. Pardeep Garg, CEO and Co-founder, Uravu Labs said, “The seed investment will enable Uravu to accelerate its ongoing work of minimising the stress on groundwater. It will further enable us to mitigate resource depletion by converting abundantly available air into water using only renewable energy. With field pilots already out, the company is aiming to rapidly test and scale the solution with key customers.” presenting the startup’s determination to help nature and the communities getting affected daily.

On the seed funding, lead investor Ashvin Chadha, Managing Partner, Anicut Capital said, “The Uravu Labs team has embarked on a unique and impactful journey to revolutionise renewable water technology. They bring a rich experience of delivering on clean technology and mobilising the commercialization of the same for industry. With their remarkable innovation and technology stakeholders can adapt, maintain, and thrive on an enriching agenda of renewable water infrastructure.

"Our support to Uravu Labs comes in the wake of our renewed focus to build on the sustainability momentum for the wider industry and to continuously strengthen and encourage startups aiming to change the status quo.” said Ashvin, while stating his trust in the company and the product.

“The concept of 100% renewable water is groundbreaking and we were excited by the progress that the team has made. We believe that Uravu and renewable water will be an important part of our efforts to tackle climate change," added Sailesh Ramakrishnan, Partner, Rocketship.vc validating the good news.

“We believe that climate-tech will play a pivotal role course-correcting environmental degradation. We know that the need for this tech is NOW!, not sometime in the future. We are very pleased to continue to invest in Uravu Labs and partner through their pioneering journey to building sustainable water infrastructure for the world from India.” said Vishesh Rajaraman, Managing Partner, Speciale Invest.

Swapnil Shrivastav, Co-founder, Uravu Labs added, “100% renewable water is the missing puzzle in the transformation towards a more sustainable world and Uravu is aiming to truly deliver real world environmental and social impact with its scalable solution in the mid-to-long term”.

Speaking further on the scalability and commercial plans, Balaji, Co-founder of Uravu Labs added "We have built a strong team on the engineering side and this team is capable of achieving the commercial scale in the fastest possible manner".

Their work was also appreciated by other investors like Jean-Baptiste Lacoste, who highlighted the team’s effort by saying, "At Vesta, we believe that an investment done in the right ideas can make an impact on the whole society and Uravu's 100% renewable water solution serves this purpose. It isn't every day that you get to invest in such innovative and purposeful ideas."

Julien Machot, Managing Partner at Verso Fund, further added, "The team at Uravu is providing the technical solutions we currently need to harvest the most essential asset on earth: water. At VERSO, we value replacing unsustainable water, the backbone of many industries and individuals, with renewable forms that will affect billions of lives. Moreover, Uravu's contribution to sustainability opens up horizons for all other sectors.

Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder & President, Venture Catalysts Group said, “Today it has become the prerogative of every company, big or small, to adopt models of sustainability and innovation that are in line with the demands of climate crisis, to ensure a better future for everyone. Venture Catalysts are proud to invest in a company like Uravu Labs, that focuses on making renewable water available to people, something which was unfathomable and apparently impossible. We look forward to supporting this novel cause to promote a safer, healthier, and accessible future with renewable water for everyone.”

This new-age climate-tech startup has previously raised an undisclosed amount during a pre-seed funding round led by Speciale Invest in 2021. Other investors included angel investors like Peter Yolles (Echo River Capital), Soren Schroder, Shigeru Sumimoto (Conselux Corporation), and Tomoki Kaneko (Kaneko Cord). Since then, there has been commendable growth in their team size and customer traction, catalysing the change we all want to witness in the water sector.

About Uravu Labs:

Uravu Labs is a Bangalore-based startup on a mission to build sustainable water solutions for the climate adaptation era. It’s a cross-functional team of scientists, engineers, and designers pushing boundaries of innovation and creativity to conceive a new kind of 100% renewable water infrastructure which utilises inexhaustible atmospheric moisture and only renewable energy to produce high quality drinking water. The company has also been a recipient of many awards - it was a global finalist in the Water Abundance XPRIZE, winner in UNIDO’s FLCTD Challenge, and a semi-finalist in the Ashirvad Water Challenge. Using the potential of technology and design, the company aims to deliver measurable environmental and social impact by transforming how the society sources and distributes high-quality drinking water that is accessible to all.

About Anicut Capital

Anicut Capital is founded by financial services veterans Ashvin Chadha and IAS Balamurugan. Anicut Capital currently manages two debt funds with an AUM of INR 1400cr and equity based Angel Fund. Recently, Anicut Capital has announced the first close of INR 500cr Anicut Opportunities Fund I. The first close corpus stands at INR 110cr. The investment firm is aiming to deploy the raised funding across 10-15 growth stage companies across Anicut and non-Anicut portfolios over a span of two years. Anicut Angel fund has deployed INR ~200cr in early and growth stage start-ups with cumulative AUM of INR 1600 cr. A few of Anicut's portfolio companies include brands like Neemans, Bira, Sugar cosmetics, Earth rhythm, Wingreens, Blue Tokai, Sharechat, Mcaffeine, Milkymist, XYXX, Curatio Healthcare, Agnikul and Grip Finance etc

Bengaluru’s 1st Sustainable Road Made with over 3,000 KG of Recycled Plastic

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Bengaluru’s First Sustainable Road Made with over 3,000 KG of Recycled Plastic Built in the City’s IT Hotspot

The initiative by Brookfield Properties will reduce travel time between Ecoworld and Outer Ring Road by 65%, positively impacting over 1,00,000 users

Brookfield Properties revamps the roundabout connecting Ecoworld Central Avenue and the Outer Ring Road (ORR) by constructing the Bengaluru’s most sustainable roadway using 3000KG of recycled plastic. The initiative is part of a larger infrastructural upgrade plan for the area led by Brookfield Properties in partnership with IBI - A Canada based architecture, engineering, planning, and technology firm, BBMP - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bengaluru Traffic Police.

The new road is built using a first-of-its-kind solution 'GridMats,' a patented method for building roads and pavements made entirely of recycled plastic waste. This approach consumes 30% less water, 74% less carbon footprint and is 20%-25% cheaper than traditional concrete roads. The project has been executed by PotHoleRaja, an organization specializing in building sustainable roads from recycled plastic.This road upgrade has resulted in a 65% reduction in travel time.

Acquired in 2020,Ecoworld is a marquee asset in Brookfield Properties’ India portfolio and is South Asia’s first True zero-waste Commercial Office Campus, offering over 7.7 million square feet of leasable area with a strong tenant roster of leading multinational companies. The project hosts over 77,000 employees and houses over 2,500 residential units generating approximately 1,00,000 footfalls daily.

Expressing his views on the overall initiative, Mr. Shantanu Chakraborty, Executive Vice President & Regional Head of South India, and Brookfield Properties said, " At Brookfield Properties, we care for our communities. This revamp will ease the commute on Ecoworld Road resulting in a reduction in travel time. Made using the grid mat technology deploying 100% recyclable plastic waste, also ensures that the road is sustainable. With this infrastructure upgrade, employees working at Ecoworld, residents and employees of nearby business parks will spend less time commuting and will further help in reducing the carbon footprint.”

Adding to it Mr. Sourabh Kumar, Director, PotHoleRaja said, "With PotholeRaja GridMats, the intent is to use plastic waste to make long-lasting and sustainable roads/pavements. Unlike traditional roads, we do not use steel reinforcements. The thickness of our pavements is 5 times lesser than traditional concrete roads, use almost 80% lesser concrete and emit 80% lesser carbon. I am glad that we got an opportunity to work with Brookfield Properties on one of the most demanding road stretches helping decongest the traffic”.

"With the revamping of the under the bridge at the Ecoworld Junction, the traffic build-up has reduced significantly also easing the pressure on traffic management authorities. We are thankful to Brookfield Properties for spearheading this initiative for the community”, said Shri. Thippeswamy, Asst. Commissioner of Police (Traffic), K R Puram. 

As a socially responsible organization, with initiatives that promote sustainability across its value chain, Brookfield Properties aims to deliver on its sustainability goals and reach its Net Zero commitment by 2050 or sooner.

About Brookfield Properties:

Brookfield Properties is a leading global developer and operator of high-quality real estate assets. The company is active in nearly all real estate sectors, including office, retail, multifamily, hospitality and logistics, operating more than 800 properties and over 390 million square feet of real estate in gateway markets on behalf of Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest asset managers in the world. With a focus on sustainability, a commitment to excellence and the drive for relentless innovation in the planning, development and management of buildings and their surroundings, Brookfield Properties is reimagining real estate from the ground up.

In India, Brookfield Properties manages 50 million sq. ft. of high-quality assets in some of the key gateway markets, 37 million sq. ft. of this is already operational. It Includes Candor TechSpace in Gurugram, Noida and Kolkata, Powai Business District, Waterstones, and Equinox in Mumbai and recently acquired office campuses in Southern India and CoWrks, the Co-working and Flexi office business across India.

Social Venture PotHoleRaja® Builds a Connecting Road From 100% Recycled Plastic Waste

PotHoleRaja’s patented GridMats® have been used to build the connecting road

GridMats® are a revolutionary pavement solution that’s eco-friendly, durable and crafted entirely from 100% recycled plastic waste

PotHoleRaja®, a social venture that is on a mission to fix Indian roads, has laid down a new concrete road connecting RMZ Ecoworld and the outer ring road to ease the traffic congestion in the area. This project has been undertaken under a partnership between PotHoleRaja®, ORR companies and BBMP.

The new road has been constructed using a first-of-its-kind solution by PotHoleRaja called ‘GridMats®’. GridMats® is a revolutionary patented product that’s eco-friendly, durable and crafted entirely from 100% recycled plastic waste to construct pavements/roads . Made from recycled polypropylene, GridMats® are placed above the bedding layer and packed with different filling options, creating a permanent, flat, high-quality surface in less than half the time, and at 20%-25% cheaper the cost.

Connecting Road by PotHoleRaja

Commenting on the project, Sourabh Kumar, Director, PotHoleRaja®, says “Currently, commuters exiting ecoworld to go towards Marathahalli have to take a big U turn at Bellandur and the ones who are entering ecoworld from outer ring road face a lot of inconvenience due to the traffic pile up in the area. This pile up is primarily due to commuters having to take a u-turn in a congested junction. A well designed connecting road directly to ecoworld will cut down on commuting time to a great extent.”

“In this project, through our GridMats®, we have used around 3000 kg of plastic waste in building this road. It consumes 30% less water than traditional concrete roads and it does not require any steel reinforcement. Traditional concrete road technology would have emitted 46.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions to complete this construction, however our GridMats produce only 11.9 tonnes—a significant reduction when compared to the conventional method. We have cut down on close to 34.6 tonnes of CO2e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions) which is the equivalent of emissions produced by driving a car for 1,38,600 km”, Sourabh adds.

About PotHoleRaja®

PotHoleRaja® has grown from doing small pothole fixing drives and CSR interventions, to making model roads/junctions and today working with some of the biggest corporations and organisations in the country to maintain the roads of entire city using all weatherproof automated machines & construction of roads from recycled plastic waste. They’ve mended more than 20000+ potholes across 30+ cities, operations in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram, Jamshedpur and more.

Boson Whitewater and Tankerwala Partner to Supply Whitewater (Recycled Water) to Malls and Industries On-Demand in B'luru

Commercial establishments and industries can now easily book ‘Whitewater’ (recycled water) through an app

Boson Whitewater, a water utility company that converts STP water into high quality potable water, has partnered with Tankerwala, an app that allows customers to book water tankers on-demand, to supply Whitewater to malls and industries across Bengaluru. Currently available in Sarjapur Road and Electronic City, Boson Whitewater plans to extend this offering to all areas across the city within the next one year.

What is Whitewater?

Whitewater refers to STP water converted into high quality potable water. Through Boson’s Whitewater system, STP treated water in apartments undergo a 11-stage treatment process that removes any smell, colour, suspended solids, and opaqueness from STP water. At the end of all the stages, the water does not have any contaminants. E Coli, Coliforms, heavy metals, high hardness, pesticides, herbicides are all removed and the water is crystal clear and potable. NABL certified lab reports indicate the water is drinkable.

Creating a win-win for apartments and industries

Currently, most industries in Bengaluru buy water from water tankers for their fresh water requirements and process their wastewater in house. However, in spite of recycling it in house, they are unable to obtain high quality water due to the operational efficiency of wastewater plants. On the other hand, apartments end up draining out at least 80% of unused wastewater since they have no avenues to use them or discharge it. Through the Boson Whitewater system, apartments can now convert their excess STP treated water into high quality potable water. This water is then supplied to nearby industries and commercial establishments for centralised air conditioning, laundry, and for housekeeping purposes.

This offers two key advantages - it allows industries to reduce their dependence on fresh water and it helps apartment communities to save water by making the best use of their wastewater. This approach not only ensures that apartments are legally compliant, but it also allows them to earn a monthly rental on the Boson Whitewater installation, while also allowing them to manage their excess treated wastewater smartly without impacting the environment.

Commenting on the partnership, Vikas Brahmavar, Founder and CEO, Boson Whitewater System, said, “Our aim is to create sustainable water infrastructure by finding ways to efficiently use wastewater generated from our residential complexes. Most apartments today are unable to comply with ‘Zero Liquid Discharge’ because they have no avenues to discharge their excess treated water. Through our system, they can now convert the excess STP water into high quality potable water which is then transported to nearby industries. We have created a model that benefits apartments as well as industries.”

“We are excited to partner with Tankerwala to provide on-demand access to Whitewater. With their network of 1000+ tankers, it makes it very easy for industries and commercial establishments to access Whitewater on-demand”

Shravanth Donthi, Founder and CEO, Tankerwala, said, “Water is a finite resource and the only way to avoid running out of it is by reducing, treating and reusing what we already have. Through this partnership, we wanted to bridge the gap between apartment communities that have excess treated water and industries that need clean water for day-to-day usage. Boson Whitewater and Tankerwala have a shared vision to improve accessibility of water across the country. We strongly believe in building partnerships that will enable us to find solutions to water crisis”

Boson Whitewater system is currently installed in Pramuk Aqua Heights and SJR Verity in Electronic City, Brigade Orion Mall, RMZ Corp, Soul Space Arena, Vakil Housing and Development Corporation.

About Boson Whitewater

Boson Whitewater, a water utility company, was founded with an aim to change the way industries, IT Parks, malls, and apartment communities recycle their wastewater. Founded in 2011 by Vikas Brahmavar and Gowthaman Desingh, Boson Whitewater converts water from sewage treatment plants into potable high quality water that can be used for household purposes, centralised air conditioning in commercial buildings, and even for drinking.

About Tankerwala

Tankerwala mobile application has enabled millions of people across the country to conveniently order for water on-demand. They are also creating a positive impact on the families of their suppliers by improving their business operations and increasing their market reach. The company is closely involved in water recycling and waste management projects across the country. They also recycle over 50 million litres of water every day.

Re Sustainability Announces Mega Fund for Best Waste Management and Recycling Ideas; Soon Setup India’s Most Advanced Refinery for E-waste, Li-Ion Battery Recycling

Company reiterates commitment to the Earth this World Environment Day, solicits entries from within India and around the world

Re Sustainability Limited, a KKR-backed company that is Asia’s leading provider of comprehensive environment management services, has announced a mega Innovation Fund for the best waste management, recycling and circular economy ideas that have the potential to bring about transformative change.

With this, the company, on the occasion of World Environment Day, seeks to provide a platform for individuals or organizations who have innovative ideas, technologies, concepts or business models that can create sustainability impact at scale. The initiative seeks entries from around the world across 5 categories within a 30-day window.

Ideas will then be scrutinized and shortlisted by an Innovation Council made up of sustainability thought leaders and business leaders. The selected ideas will receive a financial support up to INR 5 crores and a customized incubation program including 1:1 mentoring, technology validation, go-to-market support, and where relevant, a longer-term partnership opportunity with the company.

Initial entries, in the form of a brief description of the idea, its impact potential and scalability, have to be mailed to innovation@resustainability.com on or before 05 July 2022. The relevant innovation themes include:

• Waste Segregation & Treatment Technologies
• Recycling & Resource Recovery Technologies.
• Social Inclusion & Community Engagement towards Circular Economy.
• Fuels and Energy from Waste.
• New Circular Economy and Decarbonization Business Models.

Following the first round of screening in July, up to 25 shortlisted entries will receive guidance and support from the Company towards second-level submissions and further detailing of the ideas. Up to five finally selected ideas will be taken through a structured “Innovation Funnel” approach, from Proof of Concept/ Pilot Scale onwards, eventually towards full-scale implementation.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Company also announced a number of landmark partnerships, including; a partnership with Uflex, a leading global packaging company towards recycling of Multi-Layer Plastics (MLP); and a partnership with Iris-Mec, a leading European recycling technology company for its pan-India network of ELV recycling facilities.

The company also announced that it will be shortly commissioning India’s most advanced and fully-integrated refinery for E-waste & Li-Ion battery recycling. This recycling plant has been built in Hyderabad in partnership with Reldan, a global leader in e-waste and precious metals recycling.

Masood Mallick, Joint Managing Director, Re Sustainability, commented, “At Re Sustainability, we recognize that we cannot re-imagine the future just by ourselves. Fostering an innovation ecosystem, including partnering with start-ups and incubating new ideas & technologies, is a significant enabler of environmental and social transformation. Given the sheer scale of global environmental challenges and the vulnerabilities emerging economies have towards impacts from climate change, we need to significantly accelerate our journey towards innovative environmental solutions that are faster, better and more cost-effective. The launch of the Re Sustainability Innovation Fund is a significant step towards tapping into the immense human capital and innovation potential that exists, which can potentially respond to these global-scale challenges. We look forward to working with these eco-innovators and change-agents of tomorrow.”

Elopak and GLS Announce $35 Mn Sustainable Packaging Joint Venture ‘GLS Elopak’ in India

Elopak and GLS have joined hands to deliver sustainable packaging solutions to consumers across India

GLS and Elopak are pleased to announce their collaboration for a long-term strategic partnership to augment the sustainable packaging solutions industry in India. This joint venture will leverage the respective expertise, assets and networks of GLS and Elopak to capitalize on the significant consumer demand in India.

With each party helming 50% of the joint venture, the newly formed company, GLS Elopak, headquartered at Gurugram in Haryana, India will facilitate and undertake the manufacturing and distribution of superlative, sustainable and safe packaging solutions, designed to ensure the safety and easy accessibility of liquid food to consumers across the globe. The company will cater to both fresh and aseptic segments with an industry-agnostic approach including sectors like dairy, plant-based drinks, juice, water and liquor.

There has been a paradigm shift in the demand for environmentally friendly packaging which had catapulted brands to take make more informed decisions and work towards finding and adopting sustainable packaging solutions. Aided by the pandemic, the need for a more environmentally safe packaging has accelerated exponentially. With its manufacturing base at Rewari in Haryana, India, GLS Elopak will be the only producer of fibre-based packaging for liquid food in the Haryana area. Their proximity to the capital will help them roll out products on priority. The product range comprises Roll-Fed aseptic cartons under the brand “ALPAK” in varied sizes, along with end-to-end service support, to customers. Going forward, the company will introduce Pure-Pak® fresh cartons, Pure-Pak® aseptic cartons and complementary solutions.

At its core, the collaboration is built on the companies’ shared commitment to sustainability and innovation in packaging solutions. Commenting on the partnership GLS Director, Arpit Goyal shared, “This partnership aligns with our vision and mission to move towards a sustainable future with Eco-friendly solutions. We are elated to announce this venture with Elopak. We strongly believe that the capabilities and synergies between the two organizations and the shared vision will accelerate the growth of sustainable liquid packaging solutions in India.”

Mr. Finn M. Tørjesen - Executive Vice President, Mr. Arpit Goyal – Director at GLS Group and Board of Director at GLS India with Mr. Bjarke Ravn-Christensen – Director for Elopak

 
Thomas Körmendi, CEO at ELOPAK states, “Partnering with GLS to deliver innovative packaging solutions for our consumers is the right step towards a better future. We aim to provide the very best program and strategies to conceive, design, and build the next generation of sustainable, liquid packaging solutions. India is the world’s biggest milk market, with bounteous growth potential. Together with GLS, there is an opportunity for us to be at the forefront of offering innovative and sustainable packaging solutions to this industry that are safe for both the product and the environment.”

One of the key targets of GLS ELOPAK is to add value and contribute to the world’s strive towards sustainability. With India’s growth potential and location advantages, this need for alternative packaging solutions, especially in the fresh milk and water segment will be successfully furnished.

GLS Group, established in 1994, is a multi-business conglomerate with businesses in various industries such as Flexible Packaging, Liquid packaging, Inks, Adhesives, Aluminum Foils, Blown Films, BOPET Films and Warehousing. GLS Group, over the years, has emerged as one of India’s largest and most-integrated packaging organizations. For decades now, GLS Group has focused on finding better solutions to contribute toward a sustainable and greener future.

For more information, visit www.glsind.com.

Elopak is a leading global supplier of carton packaging and filling equipment. The company’s iconic Pure-Pak® cartons are made using renewable, recyclable and sustainably sourced materials, providing a natural and convenient alternative to plastic bottles that fits within a low carbon circular economy.

Founded in Norway in 1957, Elopak was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2021. Today it employs 2,700 people and sells more than 14 billion cartons annually across more than 70 countries. Elopak is a UN Global Compact participant with a platinum EcoVadis rating and has been carbon neutral since 2016.

For more information, go to elopak.com or follow us @Pure_Pak on Twitter and @Elopak on LinkedIn.

Srichakra Becomes the 1st Indian Recycling Co. to Receive a Positive Safety Assessment From European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

Srichakra Polyplast (Srichakra), India’s first food-grade quality plastic recycling company announced today that its recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) has received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The announcement comes as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to approve the use of rPET for food packaging, reducing the need for virgin plastics and paving the way for a circular economy for plastics in India.

EFSA evaluates the safety of substances used in food contact materials (FCM) including active and intelligent materials. The verdict from EFSA is predicated on an in-depth assessment of processes, with a focus on the suitability of the finished polymer product for packaging purposes.

The use of rPET in FCM has been heavily restricted in several Asian regions including India until recently. The move by Indian authorities signals a policy shift that will enable bottle-to-bottle recycling and will help build local circular supply chains.

With the aim of reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste, the India Plastics Pact was launched in September 2021 to bring together businesses, governments and NGOs and accelerate the transformation of the plastic value chain. Srichakra’s certification is a part of this ongoing movement, showcasing the company’s commitment to turn plastic waste from a scourge into a valuable resource. Srichakra’s EFSA approval comes just months after the company announced an investment of more than US$10 million into its world-class technology to upgrade and expand recycling capabilities.

Ravindra Venkata, CEO and Co-founder of Srichakra, said, "As an organization, Srichakra is committed to offering the highest grade of recycled plastic to customers in India and international markets such as Europe and the United States. We are thrilled to receive positive EFSA’s positive scientific opinion which is considered as a global benchmark. We are well on our path to be the first facility in India to offer premium food-grade rPET to domestic and global markets. Moreover, FSSAI’s release of guidelines for acceptance of rPET for food applications in India is an exciting development and we are looking forward to contributing to building circular supply chains in India.”

Rob Kaplan, CEO and Founder of Circulate Capital which invested in Srichakra in December 2020, commented, “This is a tremendous achievement for Srichakra that underscores its leadership in accelerating the circular economy for plastics in India. Thanks to its technology-driven approach, the company is setting new benchmarks in the recycling and waste management industry nationwide. As a strategic investor in Srichakra through the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund, we are excited to support their growth journey.”

The Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) is the world’s first investment fund dedicated to scaling organizations and SMEs transforming the waste management and recycling industry across South and Southeast Asia. The Fund was created in partnership with leading global corporations, including PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Chanel, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and Mondelez International. Srichakra is currently in conversations with multiple global fast-moving consumer goods companies regarding offtake agreements and expects to further increase capacity across its operations.

About Srichakra

Founded in 2010, Srichakra Polyplast (India) Pvt Ltd is a leading plastic recycling and waste management company based in Hyderabad, India. Srichakra produces superior PET and olefin flakes and granules from plastic waste. We specialise in offering high-quality recycled products in large volumes for the packaging industry. We are constantly striving to improve upon our best capabilities to help brand owners reduce virgin plastic use, and this work has resulted in the development of our technically advanced bottle-to-bottle solutions and food-grade recycled pellets.

For ten years, Srichakra has championed the transformation of locally sourced plastic waste and strives to divert plastic from the ocean and encourage the advancement of the circular economy.

Visit https://srichakra.in/ for more information.

About Circulate Capital

Circulate Capital is an investment management firm that finances innovations, companies, and infrastructure to prevent the flow of plastic waste into the oceans while advancing the circular economy. We mobilize catalytic capital to fight pollution and foster circularity across the entire plastic value chain, from innovative materials to advanced recycling technologies. 

In 2019 we established the world’s first investment fund dedicated to scaling organizations and SMEs transforming the waste management and recycling industry across South and Southeast Asia. The USD 106 million Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) was created in partnership with leading global corporations, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Chanel, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC. Our new strategy, Circulate Capital Disrupt, is a companion venture and private equity fund to CCOF that invests in disruptive technologies at the nexus of climate-tech and plastics recycling infrastructure.

For more information visit: circulatecapital.com 

Developing 1st Smartphone Made With Recycled Ocean-bound Fishing-Nets Collected from Indian Coastline

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DSM Engineering Materials today announces it has supported Samsung Electronics to deliver the first smartphone device to be made with Akulon® RePurposed. This high-performance polymer is produced by DSM from repurposing discarded fishing nets collected from the Indian Ocean. The new Galaxy S22 series smartphones and Tab S8 series tablets mark an important milestone in the sustainability of smartphone devices, and underlines DSM’s commitment to enabling a circular economy through recycled-based innovation.

DSM Engineering Materials is a business group of Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living. Headquartered in Netherlands, DSM uses discarded fishing nets to produce the recycle-based polyamide Akulon® RePurposed. The company use the material recovered from the fishing nets collected along the coastlines of India. 

Launched in 2018, Akulon® RePurposed is made by partnering with the local community along India’s coastline to collect and retrieve abandoned fishing nets. These are then processed into the exceptional polymer, containing a minimum 80% recycled polyamide 6.

Fishing Nets for recycling

Image - DSM.com

Working with Samsung Electronics, DSM tailored Akulon® RePurposed to meet the specific high-performance requirements of the new Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy Tab S8 series. As such, the material is incorporated into key components including the Galaxy S22 series’ key bracket and inner cover of the S Pen, as well as Tab S8 series’ inner support bracket. Thanks to its unique properties, Akulon® RePurposed offers an excellent balance and leading mechanical performance, and has already been applied to various industries, such as automotive, consumer goods, and electronic devices. More at - www.dsm.com/akulonrepurposed.

Last year, Samsung launched of a new software update that allows consumers to convert their older Galaxy smartphones to various types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices under the company's initiative called Galaxy Upcycling at Home.

DSM has developed a wide range of engineering materials over the years to help its customers in support of a sustainable, low-carbon circular economy and has committed to making available bio- and/or recycled-based alternatives for its entire portfolio by 2030. These circular materials help to de-fossilize the economy and society, reduce plastic waste and carbon footprint, and meet changing legislative and end-consumer demands.

Pranveer Singh Rathore, Materials R&D Manager at Samsung Electronics, said, “Through this open collaboration, which combined our technology with DSM’s expertise, we successfully developed a solution that bridges the needs of the planet and our Galaxy users. The Galaxy S22 series and Tab S8 series help advance Samsung’s sustainability vision, Galaxy for the Planet, which includes reducing our environmental footprint by incorporating recycled materials in all new mobile products by 2025. We’re excited about strengthening our partnership with DSM and continuing to positively impact Galaxy users and the environment as we expand our efforts to integrate repurposed ocean plastics across our entire product lineup in the years to come.

Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Business Director South Asia, DSM Engineering Materials, said, “As the first player in the electronics industry to be making its smartphone with Akulon® RePurposed from discarded fishing nets, Samsung shares our ambition to develop sustainable recycled-based solutions that help consumers make more eco-conscious choices in their daily lives. Together, we will continue to deliver sustainable and scalable solutions that help to address the climate crisis. We hope Samsung’s move to recycled ocean-bound fishing nets will inspire many others to take similar steps to make our planet a better place.”

DSM

DSM Engineering Materials is a business group of Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals and the planet. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM’s products and solutions address some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders – customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. The company was founded in 1902 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.