India tops the global list in plastic waste generation, producing a staggering 10.2 million tonnes annually. This figure is more than double that of the next biggest polluters, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Russia. And tackling this head on is Mohd Suhail, a 32-year-old entrepreneur from Delhi, who has managed to stop 200 tons of industrial plastic waste from reaching landfills in the last three years.

“By recycling 200 tons, we’ve reduced 300 tons of CO2 emissions, an important step in reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to a more sustainable future,” he tells The Better India.

Sohail grew up in the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, where his father worked as a labourer. His early memories of seeing his father craft packaging materials from discarded polyester and paper had always led him to question if discarded items could play a better role in everyday lives.

“It taught me the importance of making the most of what was available,” he says.

‘I wanted to do more’

With a master’s degree in social work, Suhail’s early career was deeply rooted in the social development sector. “I dedicated over 12 years to working on women’s empowerment, child development, and environmental causes,” he says.

In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Suhail observed a new environmental crisis in his community.

“I saw firsthand the devastating effects of industrial pollution on the environment. We found it difficult to breathe. It made me realise that pollution isn’t just a problem in Delhi, it’s a widespread crisis affecting people everywhere,” he recalls. “That experience made me realise that I wanted to do more than just talk about environmental issues. I wanted to find a solution to reduce environmental degradation.”

Realising there was no effective solution to the escalating plastic waste around us, Suhail thought it was the right moment to come up with something that could make a real difference.

Recycling industrial plastic

In 2020, Suhail founded ‘Athar Packaging Solutions’, hoping to address the mounting waste problem by providing sustainable alternatives. Drawing inspiration from his father’s innovation in repurposing materials, the 32-year-old focused on the potential of recycling plastic.

The first step was understanding the types of plastic that could be recycled and repurposed into new materials.

“After six months of research, we identified that only three types of plastics, that is LDPE, BOPP, and LD plastics, could be recycled into sustainable........

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