`Banyan Nation': Meet Hyderabadi anti-plastic warriors who bagged World Economic Forum award

Hyderabad-based `Banyan Nation' has embarked on a mission to rid the city of plastic pollution.

The organization recycles around 500-600 tonnes of shampoo bottles, oil bottles, detergent containers, and more. All of these fall under the category of high-density plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene. These can be recycled and used again multiple times.

"India's environmental crisis is vastly triggered by not recycling plastics that can be recycled. This is where Banyan Nation steps in. We wanted to tackle the waste management system and we began will recycling what can be recycled," says Rashi Agarwal, Director of Banyan Nation.

She said all plastics are downcycled instead of recycled. "However, we have opted to follow a 'circular economy; where raw materials are recovered, recycled and re-utilized in the manufacturing process," Rashi explains.

Banyan Nation collects tonnes of waste every month and first processes it so that all contaminations are removed. By using their proprietary plastic cleaning technology at their facility in Hyderabad, they make small plastic pellets (that look like rice grains).

"Our clients can use any percentage of the recycled plastic pellets in their manufacturing units again. Today, if you see a Surfexel bottle, it says that the container is made of only 50% virgin plastic. The rest 50% is made of recycled plastic. By combining the two- virgin plastic and recycled plastic, the containers can be recycled an infinite number of times," Rashi says.

Its proprietary plastic cleaning technology converts collected post-consumer and post-industrial plastic waste into high-quality recycled granules – Better Plastic – comparable in quality and performance to virgin plastic. Its award-winning data intelligence platform integrates thousands of informal recyclers into its supply chain and also helps cities manage their waste more effectively.

Banyan Nation's method of recycling helps maximum value is extracted out of raw materials, thus saving billions of dollars in costs and significantly reducing ecological hazards. Until now, Banyan Nation's recycled plastic pellets have made their way into the manufacturing of 300 million bottles (shampoos, oils, conditioners, and more) since its genesis in 2013.

Banyan Nation is also the first Indian Company to win the circular economy award at World Economic Forum in 2018. The company was formed by Mani Kishore Vajipey and Raj Madangopal with an aim to recycle plastic.

Banyan Nation is one of the many companies that will participate in INK@WASH 3.0 (Innovations & New Knowledge in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), which will be held in Hyderabad in May 2022. INK@WASH is a unique platform instituted by the Telangana municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) department in partnership with the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) for collaboration between start-ups/innovators, mentors, academic institutions, non-profits, funders, and state/city governments.

(NewsMeter is the formal media partner for INK@WASH 3.0. NewsMeter has written this article in association with the Administration Staff College of India.)