Vital waste: A Kolkata based recycling and waste management company

From collecting recyclable waste to helping individuals turn it into a useable product, Vital Waste manages the entire waste management process.

"I couldn't find the time to separate the trash at home and send it to someone for recycling because I work in a busy environment. Kabaadiwalas were not permitted in our unit because of security concerns. What should I do with the rubbish accumulating in a corner, I wondered," says Tushar Himatsinghka, the 34-year-old creator of Vital Waste.

To help the city of joy, Kolkata, recycle its waste, Tushar and Prashanth Bothra, who earned their MBAs in tandem from the London School of Commerce, chose to leave their cushy corporate careers in May 2016. Instead, they launched "Vital Waste."

In our throwaway culture, it is simpler to dispose of something than to discover new uses for them. The Central Pollution Control Board of India reported in 2015 that, on average, 0.14 million towers of trash were generated nationwide daily.

Large quantities of this trash are dumped in landfills, which raises environmental dangers. Various everyday items, including aluminum cans, glass and pet containers, paper, and cardboard, can be recycled several times and turned into valuable goods. Additionally, it can lessen the quantity of waste in landfills. Weak waste management practices are to blame for the worldwide increase in air temperature and the growth of greenhouse gases.

What does vital waste do?

Vital Waste provides recycling solutions to Kolkata's residential communities, schools and corporate offices. The startup takes care of a complete waste management chain seamlessly connecting waste producers to recycled material users. This is the founders' step towards generating zero waste in landfills.

While Prashant has 19 years of similarly extensive expertise in the retail service and manufacturing industries, Tushar has a decade-long career in banking, insurance, real estate, and logistics services. The organization serves 20,000 societies, 10 schools, the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, Iron Mountain, HDFC Home Loans, and a few other large corporations. It has already assisted in the recycling of 50 tons of rubbish.

Awareness and the mindset being the biggest hurdles

After only a little time to investigate, the organization's main obstacle was the housing societies' and corporations' attitudes toward the segregation and recycling of garbage.

The biggest hurdle initially was getting people to realize that recycling is essential. It was challenging to change people's mindsets and bring awareness about them, adds Tushar.

The company has been raising awareness of the 3 Rs: Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce, in addition to collecting and recycling. They also give "waste audit reports" to organizations affiliated with them it. They are provided with correct information on the quantity of recycled waste in this report. By setting a target to beat, this audit aids organizations in recycling more waste over time.

The race for recycling

Recently, the organisation conducted recycling competition at Loreto School in Calcutta.

The waste from the school was purchased by Vital Waste. The school is then utilizing the funds to build a second underfunded school in a small West Bengali community. The startup is currently self-funded and is working to achieve the founder's vision of spreading to other cities and eliminating landfills in India.

Read also: Top 15 Sustainable Startups in India