Without (Company)
Ashaya Waste Recyclers Private Limited is an Indian waste management company founded in 2020 by Anish Malpani and headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra.[1] The company operates under the consumer brand Without and focuses on recycling multi-layered plastic (MLP) packaging waste into consumer products.[2]
The company gained national attention in 2024 after securing ₹75 lakh in investment from Shark Tank India Season 3.[3] It has received recognition from organizations including MIT Solve and the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3).[4][5]
History
Ashaya Waste Recyclers was incorporated in 2020 in Pune by Anish Malpani.[6] The company initially operated from a self-funded laboratory developing processes to recycle multi-layered plastic packaging, which typically ends up in landfills due to the difficulty of separating its component materials.[7]
In 2023, the company launched its first consumer product line under the "Without" brand, producing sunglasses made from recycled chip packets and similar packaging waste.[8] The initial product release reportedly sold out within days and received coverage in national media.
In early 2024, the company appeared on Shark Tank India Season 3, where it secured ₹75 lakh in funding for a 3% equity stake from investors Peyush Bansal and Ronnie Screwvala.[9]
Operations and Technology
The company operates a recycling process for multi-layered plastic (MLP) packaging, which includes materials like chip packets, sachets, and similar flexible packaging that contains multiple polymer layers often combined with metal foils.[10] According to the company, this type of waste has historically had near-zero recycling rates globally.
The recycling process involves what the company describes as "chemo-mechanical" treatment, including stages of demetallization, depolymerization, and purification. The company holds an Indian patent for this process.[11] The resulting materials are used to manufacture consumer products including sunglasses, accessories, and corporate merchandise.
As of 2024, the company reports processing capacity of approximately 6 kg per day and employs around 35 people.[12] Operations include waste collection, processing, and manufacturing of finished products.
Products
The company's primary consumer brand "Without" produces eyewear products including sunglasses and prescription frames made from recycled materials.[13] Additional products include accessories such as coasters and keychains created from recycled plastic waste.
The company also provides business-to-business materials and custom products for other companies seeking sustainable materials for various industries.[14]
Recognition and Awards
In 2023, Ashaya won first place in the Circular Plastics Case Competition organized by Hillenbrand, The Coca-Cola Company, and Net Impact, receiving a $10,000 prize.[15][16]
The same year, the company was selected for MIT Solve's platform as part of their sustainability initiatives, focusing on SDGs 1, 11, and 12.[17] In May 2023, Ashaya received the ISC3 Start-up Award from the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre, being named "Start-up of the Month."[18]
In 2024, the company was featured in a Euronews documentary on Indian environmental entrepreneurship.[19] The company has been profiled in various Indian business publications including The Better India, The Weekend Leader, and Global Indian.
Social Impact Initiatives
The company partners with informal waste collectors (waste-pickers) in its supply chain, providing formal employment and benefits including health insurance. According to company reports, participating workers earn 2-3 times more than traditional waste-picking activities.[20]
The company has stated its goal of formalizing waste-picker employment, though the scale remains limited compared to India's estimated millions of informal waste workers. The company continues to expand its efforts, integrating more workers into the formal economy and ensuring access to legal protections and benefits.
References
- ↑ "ASHAYA WASTE RECYCLERS PRIVATE LIMITED". IndiaFilings.
- ↑ "Recycling the 'Impossible Plastic', 33-YO Tackles Landfill Waste with Trendy Sunglasses". The Better India. 13 March 2023.
- ↑ "What Happened to Without by Ashaya After Shark Tank India?". KeeVurds.
- ↑ "Recycling The Impossible". MIT Solve.
- ↑ "Start-up Ashaya". ISC3.
- ↑ "ASHAYA RECYCLERS PRIVATE LIMITED". Zauba Corp.
- ↑ "BBA Graduate's Startup Earns Rs 11 Lakh in a Week by Making Sunglasses from Chip Packet Waste". The Weekend Leader.
- ↑ "Anish Malpani: The social entrepreneur behind world's first recycled sunglasses made from packets of chips". Global Indian.
- ↑ "Shark Tank India Season 3: How an entrepreneur who makes eyewear from garbage-picked chip packets got Shark Tank India deal". Zee Business. 15 February 2024.
- ↑ "Social Enterprise Transforms the World's Most Wasted Plastic Into Sunglasses". TriplePundit.
- ↑ "Ashaya Recyclers: Transforming Plastic Waste into Opportunities for Change". Bharat Economic Forum. 8 August 2024.
- ↑ "About Us". Without.
- ↑ "Without - World's First Recycled Sunglasses Made From Packet Of Chips". Without.
- ↑ "Ashaya Recyclers Private Limited - Manufacturer from Pune, India". IndiaMART.
- ↑ "Hillenbrand, The Coca-Cola Company, and Net Impact Announce Winners of Inaugural Circular Plastics Case Competition". Hillenbrand. April 27, 2023.
- ↑ "Hillenbrand, The Coca-Cola Company, and Net Impact Announce Winners of Inaugural Circular Plastics Case Competition". PR Newswire. April 27, 2023.
- ↑ "Recycling The Impossible". MIT Solve.
- ↑ "Start-up Ashaya". ISC3.
- ↑ "Meet the Indian eco-trailblazer who threw shade at corporate life". Euronews. January 8, 2024.
- ↑ "WITHOUT by Ashaya". TRANSFORM.
External links
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