India generates millions of tonnes of waste paper and plastic each year. This waste not only pollutes our environment but also squanders valuable resources.
Looking for a way to address this problem, BG Seetharaman, founder and managing director of BG Boutique Paper Mills, brainstormed ideas to prevent agricultural and plastic waste from entering landfills.
He realised that 30,000 tonnes of waste paper and 87 million tonnes of crop residue were causing environmental harm. Paper contaminated with plastic or beverage stains was unsuitable for recycling, while crop residue was burnt, contributing to pollution.
In July 2022, Seetharaman, along with social entrepreneur Vinay Kumar and green chemical expert Rajeeva Deekshit, founded Indic Initiatives to develop a waste paper recycling machine that would address these issues.
“We built a semi-automatic machine in 2014 as a ready-made paper machine was not available to our size, to process say 100-200 kg per day,” says Seetharaman.
The team worked on removing silicone coatings, hazardous substances, and beverage stains from waste paper. "Label release papers have a silicone coating which is hazardous and not recyclable," Seetharaman explains.
The problem with tetra packs and paper cups is their plastic and aluminium layers, which prevent efficient recycling. These layers are not typically separated, making the recycling process challenging.
The team built a unique machine that separates plastic, aluminium, and pulp from waste paper. "Our unit can recover clean plastic and aluminium coatings for reuse," says Vinay Kumar, co-founder of Indic Initiatives.
After winning ELEVATE Karnataka 2023 and Nidhi Prayas 2023 awards, they set up a pilot plant in Chikkamagaluru, successfully separating plastic from paper cups and silicone from label release papers.
“The components go through a three-stage process,” Seetharaman explains. "In the case of tetra packs, the machine uses a chemical suspension to separate it into aluminium, plastic, and pulp."
The machine produces pulp boards that can be used for paper making or moulded products. The aluminium and paper waste are sorted separately and sent to recyclers.
“We have ensured that there is no effluent released,” says Seetharaman. The machine also extracts sap from banana waste for use as a liquid fertiliser, contributing to a zero liquid discharge arrangement.
The machine is designed for villages, malls, and airports, with a capacity to recycle 50 kg of paper waste daily, extendable to 150 kg. A larger version processes up to one tonne.