Originally reported and written in March 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content. 

“Recycling cannot simply be a WhatsApp story or a viral LinkedIn post. It is much more than that,” emphasises Anish Malpani as he speaks of his journey in setting up the much-acclaimed Ashaya, a social enterprise that aims to increase the value of waste. 

You may recall the brand as touted to be the one “turning chips packets into sunglasses”, with trendy designs being their USP. 

As it turns out, ‘Without’ — a brand under Ashaya that is making “the world’s first sunglasses from chips packets” —  prides itself not only on its cool designs, but also the fact that they utilise MLPs (Multi Layered Plastic) to do this. 

This type of plastic waste is notorious for being one of the most common but least recycled, ending up in landfills where it piles up until it is incinerated. The low-value, high-volume composite waste has an unpopular reputation for being economically and technically “impossible” to recycle — the reason being the laminated structure. 

In contrast to single-layered plastics, MLPs are a composite of a sheet of plastic coupled with materials like aluminium copper or paper, laminated together culminating into a plastic that goes decades without a change in its composition. 

You may ask why, then, are these kinds of plastics being produced? 

The laminate structure contributes to the shelf life of the product, keeping it intact. You will find these MLPs around the home in popular items such as pharmaceutical coverings, food-grade items and, of course, chips packets. 

But as the ever-increasing pile of MLPs in landfills is a frightening concern, one man is aiming to change this. 

From New York to Nairobi 

Anish’s journey seems almost as if a movie script — in spite of his lucrative job and life in New York, the 33-year-old knew a part of him wanted to leave this cosy life and change the world. 

Recalling the series of episodes that motivated this life transition in 2017, Anish says “It seemed almost wrong to feel depressed while I had everything I could dream of in the States. Things were going well for me professionally and I enjoyed working hard.........

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