Recycling and Research: The Quintessential Alliteration
Innovation in recycling is one of the most important components in the industry. In India recycling has started gaining traction by the government as well as private players, making it one of the sectors to watch out for. It holds importance not just from the CSR and ESG side but makes economic sense for the company as well.
Recognising the importance of the recycling industry, BW Businessworld organised BW Recycling Awards, 2022. In a panel discussion hosted by Miniya Chatterjee, CEO, Sustain Lab Paris, we gained insights into the necessity of ‘Nurturing innovation through R&D in the recycling industry'.
“We have brought in quality recycling equipment from Europe. With our own engineering knowledge, we have brought out washing lines for our products. We try to bring in sustainable and affordable recycling.” Says S Sampath President and CEO, Samkitec Resources, Chairman NSWAI. However, the challenge of non-recyclable plastic still remains.
Talking about the heart of innovation in recycling, Nikhil Kaushik, CEO, Graviky Labs Inc notes, “If you make the manufacturing right, recycling becomes easier. We believe materials can be made in a different way which can be upcycled later on.” There is a difficulty is segregation, including the manufacturing of products, which also ups the cost of recycling. These factors are a burden on the Indian recycling system.
With rising awareness, companies are also looking to replace non-recyclable materials with recyclable materials. “This is where industrial Symbiosis is going to play a crucial role. We have to see how we can put two interesting entities together.” adds Ulhas Parlikar, Director, MRAI plastic division. The need of the hour is to visualise the cross-industry application and back-fit innovations accordingly.
India is in a good spot to pick up international best practices. The idea of successful recycling has changed over time. Earlier it was weight, volume and interest of stakeholders. Now it is based on environmental benefits of recycling through a lifecycle approach. “It is important to look at recycling from a broader perspective, and ofcourse research and development is much needed. There is a lot of innovation in this aspect, especially with respect to life cycle management.” Presently such assessments are a fraction in the ocean at least in India.
Recycling in India is looking up right now. Collaborations and right way to move forward is the future of the industry.
