What is circular economy and how did 2 IIT grads get there

Sustainable Circular Future: Start-up Solutions from Bengaluru

Introduction

Shashwat Gangwal and Keshav Godala, former students of IIT-Kharagpur, faced the problem of disposable plastic containers piling up due to frequent food delivery orders. They realized that most of this waste ended up being burned or sent to landfills, as recycling was not economically viable. With the increasing volume of food delivery and plastic waste, they decided to tackle this issue and founded InfinityBox, a packaging-as-a-service start-up that offers reusable containers as an alternative option for food delivery.

Circular Economy Start-ups

The concept of circular economy promotes practices such as reuse, recycling, and refurbishing to minimize resource and product disposal. Start-ups in Bengaluru are adopting this model to create profitable businesses that are also environmentally friendly. These initiatives align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fighting climate change, and preserving nature and biodiversity.

InfinityBox: Reusable Containers for Food Delivery

InfinityBox initially offered customers the choice of reusable containers when ordering food through delivery platforms. The start-up would collect the containers after use, wash them, and make them ready for reuse. Pilot programs were conducted in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi with the support and funding of Swiggy. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit, larger corporates approached InfinityBox for packaging solutions to distribute food to their workers. The start-up started manufacturing reusable ‘thalis’ that could be used more than 200 times. Today, InfinityBox works with various clients, including corporates, hospitals, universities, and schools, and claims to save 10 to 40 percent of their monthly operational costs.

Gro Club: Subscription Services for Kids’ Products

Parents Pruthvi Gowda, Hrishikesh Halase, Sapna Gowda, and Roopesh Shah founded Gro Club to address the issue of kids outgrowing products quickly. They offer subscription services for kids’ bicycles and other products, allowing parents to return the items once their children outgrow them. Gro Club refurbishes the products and reintroduces them to the market, reducing waste in the kids’ category. By introducing children to reused products at an early age, Gro Club aims to instill a habit of sustainable consumption.

Metastable Materials: Chemical-Free Battery Recycling

Bengaluru-based start-up Metastable Materials focuses on recycling lithium-ion batteries used in electrical vehicles (EVs). Their innovative process is chemical-free and energy-efficient, resulting in a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional methods. Metastable Materials also addresses the transportation safety of end-of-life batteries by developing packaging materials that prevent accidents and ensure structural integrity.

Mini Mines: Extracting Valuable Components from Waste Batteries

Mini Mines tackles the recycling of waste batteries by extracting valuable elemental compounds through their patented technology called hybrid hydro metallurgy (HHM). This process is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and helps India reduce its dependency on imported chemicals for battery production. Mini Mines aims to transform waste batteries into valuable resources and contribute to a sustainable circular future.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed:

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 15: Life on Land

Targets Identified:

1. Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
2. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
3. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
4. Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
5. Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

Indicators:

• Indicator 12.3.1: Food loss index
• Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula
• Indicator 14.1.1: Index of coastal eutrophication and floating plastic debris density
• Indicator 15.2.1: Progress towards sustainable forest management

Analysis:

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to the following SDGs:

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses start-ups in Bengaluru that are working towards a circular economy, which aligns with SDG 12. These start-ups aim to reduce waste generation, promote recycling and reuse, and change production and consumption patterns to reduce environmental impact.

The article also mentions the importance of climate change mitigation and adaptation, which relates to SDG 13. The start-ups mentioned in the article contribute to climate action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing the deleterious impact on nature and biodiversity.

Furthermore, the article highlights the issue of marine pollution and the need to prevent and reduce it, which is connected to SDG 14. The start-ups mentioned in the article are working towards reducing plastic waste, which is a significant contributor to marine pollution.

Lastly, the article mentions the importance of sustainable forest management and afforestation, which aligns with SDG 15. One of the start-ups mentioned in the article focuses on extracting valuable components from waste batteries, contributing to sustainable resource management.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.
2. Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
3. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
4. Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
5. Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 12.3.1: Food loss index – This indicator can measure progress towards Target 12.3 by tracking the reduction in food waste and losses along production and supply chains.
• Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate, tons of material recycled – This indicator can measure progress towards Target 12.5 by monitoring the recycling rate and the amount of material recycled.
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula – This indicator can measure progress towards Target 13.3 by assessing the extent to which climate change education and awareness-raising are integrated into educational curricula.
• Indicator 14.1.1: Index of coastal eutrophication and floating plastic debris density – This indicator can measure progress towards Target 14.1 by evaluating the level of marine pollution, including plastic debris, in coastal areas.
• Indicator 15.2.1: Progress towards sustainable forest management – This indicator can measure progress towards Target 15.2 by assessing the implementation of sustainable forest management practices and the extent of afforestation and reforestation efforts.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: thehindu.com

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