PlastX in India - the Final Tally!
These are the numbers…
10: Hard-working men and women who took part as registered PlastX Collectors
18: The age of our youngest collector. (PlastX Collectors must be of legal working age)
78: Total days worked during the trial
286: The average weekly plastic collection (kilos)
400.5: The team's biggest weekly haul (Diwali festival in mid-November created higher levels of plastic waste for our team to collect)
3,711 Kilos (almost 4 tonnes!) of waste plastic recovered for reuse!
What will happen to it?
India's laws preclude recycled plastic from being used in food-grade applications, but recycled PET can create a range of products, including carpet, clothing, protective packaging, automotive parts, construction materials, even the felt for tennis balls.
Some of the collected plastic was sold to traders in the recycling market; the final tonne was purchased directly by a local recycler, who will transform it into high-value PET strapping for industrial and commercial packaging.
(When PlastX swings into action as a commercial enterprise, ALL plastic will be collected to order. Meaning that there will be no stockpiling; no dragging plastic around to traders looking for a buyer. There will ALWAYS be a buyer for PlastX plastic.)
What did we learn?
That, in spite of their limited exposure to smart devices, our Collectors did engage with the simple PlastX app.That the PlastX Tech did assist them to collect to clear specifications, and importantly,
That collections could be monitored at every step from collector to processor using physical, digital, and financial tracking: a three-way chain of custody.
What Else?
When plastic is collected to order more of the negotiated price goes directly to the people who collect. With a little more money comes security, dignity, and possibilities.
Better living conditions… an education for your kids... a decent future...
You can’t do this stuff alone. We are fortunate to have partnered with global experts in sustainable supply chains, Solidaridad; and to have the on-the-ground expertise of Green Dream Foundation.
What’s next?
An enthusiastic customer in nearby New Delhi is ready to accept large quantities of our plastic on an ongoing basis, so PlastX is poised to scale in 2021.
But goodwill and bootstrapping will only go so far. Crucially, PlastX needs investment, so we’ve thrown ourselves in to capital raising to achieve our vision.
Experienced, credentialed, investible Start-up seeks sustainably aligned Investor for long-term partnership...
Watch this space!
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