2020 will go down the dumpster drain for more than one reason. Along with the infamous virus and endemic racism (or classism, casteism or sexism—take your pick), this year marked a new low for our planet too. The weight of human-made mass, predominantly plastic, crossed the combined weight of all biomass on  Earth, according to a recent research published in Nature magazine. Amid this doom of disposability and the toxic culture of throwaway consumerism, Bhagyashree Jain’s ThermoWaste Solutions is a beautiful badass exception. A pioneering recycling and waste management company, ThermoWaste Solutions is recycling the world into a more sustainable and ethical future.

THERMOWASTE SOLUTIONS’ INCEPTION

Thermowaste was founded in 2014 to address the wreckage that improper waste and plastic disposal unleashes on our planet. The idea came about when Bhagyashree and her father, Mr. Shanti Lal Bhansali, grew increasingly worried about the huge amounts of plastic waste and foul smell generated at a landfill near their home. They were also conscious about the waste generated at one of their industrial facilities, and were determined to neutralise their plastic footprint. However, there weren't any authorised plastic recyclers in their vicinity and the rules around waste disposal were unclear. This need for and gap in waste disposal services prompted them to incept a plastic recycling company. After conversations with their Urban Local Bodies, they founded ThermoWaste Solutions. For Bhagyashree, the founding spirit rested on her belief that:

“Recycling is more than just a response to the environmental crisis and has assumed a symbolic role in beginning to change the nature of societies and the culture of consumerism”.  

THERMOWASTE SOLUTIONS’ CONCEPTION

Core to Thermowaste’s sustainable waste management vision is their “zero waste to landfill” policy, whereby plastic waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills, oceans or incineration plants is intercepted for recycling, creating renewable fuels or being reused by cement industries. They operationalise this further through three core services:

• Industrial Plastic Waste Recycling: wherein they purchase all types of plastic scrap generated through industries including manufacturing and education
• Extended Producer Responsibility Policy: wherein they engage producers, brand owners and manufacturers to take responsibility for proper disposal of their products
• Household Waste Management: wherein they collect recyclable plastic waste from residential colonies

THERMOWASTE SOLUTIONS’ IMPACT

Thermowaste Solutions is a company that deeply cares about plastic, people and the planet. Their impact stems from their sustainable philosophy and magnifies through every aspect of their work, including their operations, ethics, partnerships and working conditions. They measure their impact not just in terms of the amount of plastic waste they recycle but also in the number of waste-collectors and rag-pickers they are able to empower. Here’s a snapshot of what makes them so Badass:

• Commitment to recycling plastic: The waste management company recycles more than 1,00,000 Kgs of plastic waste per month. This includes not just high-value plastics (found in milk jugs and water bottles) but also low-value plastic (found in chip bags and chocolate wrappers) that do not have any financial value.

• Empowering and caring culture for people: One of their key legacies is in enabling waste workers to work in ethical conditions, earn liveable incomes and gain better access to education and healthcare. Whereas formerly, waste workers would   dig through landfills and dumping grounds in hazardous conditions, and through long hours and subpar prices, Thermowaste helped them secure contracts with more reliable supplies of higher quality waste, fair wages and conditions free of exploitation. They work with nearly 75 families who were formerly engaged in rag-picking but today have fixed monthly incomes and respectable jobs in the waste management sector.

• Curating demand for a sustainable planet: A major challenge Bhagyashree encountered was creating a market and demand for the recycled plastic. It is still not uncommon for product manufacturers to shy away from the use of recycled pellets vis-a-vis virgin pellets. However, through their advocacy and engagement, Thermowaste was able to enlist the support of many brands, including Whirlpool India, Mohan Meakin, Panasonic, among others. This is an example of how the brand was able to collaborate and complete the supply chain for recycled plastic and create a more circular economy for plastic.

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR THERMOWASTE SOLUTIONS

Before the year comes to a close, the company is investing close to $1 Million in setting up new recycling plants across India. They are also launching a "Plastic Credits" system where anyone in their individual or corporate capacity can become plastic neutral by funding recycling of their personal plastic footprints (starting at as low as 10kgs). This is an important initiative, as Bhagyahree puts it:

“consumers need to be more aware and rather adamant about sustainability in their interactions with brands and purchase choices”.

We couldn’t concur more, and for that, this sustainable, conscious and purposeful brand has our admiration and badass salute.

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