Recycling: The First Steps to Plastic Circularity

Practical actions for policymakers, industry, and citizens—plus the startups at Scale-Up, that are already making a mark.

By Marico Innovation Foundation June 18, 2025 | 9:42 AM
Illustration of workers sorting and processing plastic bottles on a recycling line—representing plastic waste management innovation in India, supported by Marico Innovation Foundation's Scale-Up program.

India generates more than 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually—and only a fraction of it is meaningfully recycled. Tackling this mammoth task can begin with small, strategic first steps across the plastics value chain.

At Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF), our belief is that a more efficient waste recycling system requires targeted action from every stakeholder —from governments and brands to recyclers and citizens. As also, thoughtful inclusion strategies for the informal waste sector, which continues to do the bulk of the ground work in India’s recycling ecosystem. Some ideas on what this path could look like.

💡 Reimagining Design and Distribution

The journey to better recycling starts far before plastic becomes waste. It begins with how products are designed, packaged, and distributed.

🏗️ Building Infrastructure That Works

No recycling system can succeed without supportive infrastructure that enables waste to be recovered, sorted, and reused.

Pile of used plastic containers at a waste collection site in India, representing the plastic waste management challenge addressed by Marico Innovation Foundation’s Scale-Up program.
India generates over 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, but only a small portion gets effectively recycled.

⛓️ Strengthening the Role of Stakeholders

From civil society to brand owners, every stakeholder in the value chain has a role.

♻️ Inclusion Strategies for Informal Waste Collectors

Informal waste workers are the unsung heroes of India’s recycling economy. Recognising their role and providing structural support is essential to improving the system as a whole.

India has the opportunity to become a global leader in plastic circularity. It starts with intentional, inclusive, and incremental action. And every small step counts. MIF remains committed to amplifying the innovators and institutions leading this change. Because the future of plastic is not waste—it’s possibility. 

Read more in MIF’s first-of-its-kind playbook that focuses on innovations that can help build a resilient circular economy for plastics in India. The full report is here

Explore Scale-Up companies in our Plastic Waste Management portfolio here.

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