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#3 Executive: Biodegradability, not recycling, is the answer to India’s plastics crisis

In India, the founder of a biodegradable packaging firm is advocating for biodegradable solutions to the nation’s waste crisis over recycling.

“Recycling is not really an answer anymore,” Rhea Mazumdar Singhal, founder Ecoware, tells India Times. “Packaging needs to be biodegradable.”

India generates 26,000 tons of plastic waste annually, according to the nation’s Central Pollution Control Board. “What is a matter of concern is that over 10,000 tons of this waste remains uncollected,” she adds. Ecoware produces plates, cups and bowls from agricultural residues such as bagasse. It has the ability to produce 1,500 metric tons of material annually, converting that to 50 million products.

“Any place that produces food is a potential client for us—be it someone’s home or a local thela that sells good,” Singhal adds. “The problem is awareness.”
More on the story, here.