Pune-based startup WITHOUT is rewriting the rules of plastic recycling. Rather than letting multi-layer films and soiled plastics be landfilled or burnt, the company has developed a patented process to separate and repurpose them into new materials and consumer products. Founded in 2020, WITHOUT is coupling impact-driven innovation with inclusion of informal waste-workers, aiming to turn a waste challenge into an opportunity. With a demonstration plant capable of processing several tonnes per month now live, the company is scaling from lab to commercial operations. As India grapples with plastic waste volumes and limited recycling for complex packaging, WITHOUT stands out for pairing tech + social impact: reducing plastic pollution while formalising jobs and building circular manufacturing.
Table of Contents
The Problem
India generates vast volumes of plastic waste each year. A major chunk of that is multi-layered plastic (MLP): packets, sachets, wrappers that combine metals, plastics, cellulose, often contaminated and routinely ignored by formal recycling systems. Because of the mixed layers, many such items are labelled “unrecyclable”. What’s more, waste-pickers in the informal sector routinely collect mixed waste streams with little training or protection.
Without decided to confront that double challenge: both the material waste and the informal employment conditions.
The Startup & Mission
Founded in 2020, WITHOUT began with the goal of increasing the value of plastic waste that is typically discarded. Its founder, after working abroad and volunteering in waste-management contexts in India, came back with the idea of combining recycling innovation with social inclusion. The company’s mission: “A world without waste, without poverty” — letting waste-workers move into formal roles and giving complex waste streams a second life.
The Tech
At the heart of WITHOUT’s model is a process it calls Verdicycle (trademark). The startup:
- Collects complex plastic waste including MLP (multi-layer packaging) and even soiled textiles.
- Uses a chemical-mechanical method to separate layers: demetallisation, dissolution of PET layers, removal of adhesives, separation of polyolefins, without using organic solvents.
- Converts the output into high-quality raw materials (e.g., enhanced polyolefins) that feed manufacturing of new products: eyewear, coasters, keychains, signage, planter-pots.
- Operates a demonstration plant (in Pune) which can process up to ~5 tonnes per month of post-consumer waste in its current phase.
This means that waste once deemed unrecyclable now becomes feedstock for value-added manufacturing.
Social Impact & Inclusion
The startup also formalises roles for waste-pickers and scrap-workers. Informal collectors from local scrap yards are brought in, retrained, shift into machine-operator or quality-control roles, earn 2-3× their previous income, and receive stock options. In this way, WITHOUT is combining environmental and social goals: creating livelihoods and cleaning up waste streams.
Business Model & Products
Initially, WITHOUT appears to operate as a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand: it sells recycled-material products (e.g., sunglasses, accessories) rather than purely selling its raw-material outputs to other manufacturers. Revenue to date remains modest (the first batch of eyewear sold out quickly). Its longer-term aspiration though is B2B: supplying recycled material at scale into other manufacturing chains.
Growth & Scale
Key targets and progress include:
- Demonstration plant live in 2025 that handles ~5 tonnes/month of complex waste.
- Planning to shift to commercial-scale plant next.
- Raised seed funding of nearly USD 1.9 million (in multiple tranches) from investors including UK-based funds and prominent angels.
- The tech is protected by at least one granted patent and additional pending patents (for processes and material formulations).
- First consumer product launches happened in 2023; the D2C revenue bucket remains small but the model aims to scale.
Key Metrics Table
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| Waste stream targeted | Multi-layer plastic (MLP), soiled textiles |
| Demonstration capacity | ~5 tonnes/month (Pune plant) |
| Business model | D2C product sales + future B2B supply |
| Social inclusion | Formalising informal waste-workers |
| Patent status | 1 granted, more pending |
Benefits & Implications
- Environmental: By recovering materials from plastic streams typically dumped or incinerated, WITHOUT reduces landfill burdens and contributes to circular economy goals.
- Social: By formalising jobs, improving income of waste-pickers, the startup addresses inclusion and livelihood challenges.
- Business: As circular manufacturing gains traction, building a supply of recycled high-quality material can give a cost-advantage and environmental branding edge.
- Systemic: The model addresses a previously neglected waste segment (MLP) and shows how innovation + collection + processing can align.
Challenges & Risks
- Scaling up from demonstration to commercial-scale plants demands capital and operational excellence.
- The quality and consistency of waste inputs (MLP) is variable, which complicates processing.
- While D2C brand products help test the market, to make large-scale impact the B2B material supply business must come into play.
- Market adoption: Convincing manufacturers to switch to recycled feedstock, guaranteeing performance and cost parity is tough.
- Policy and logistics: The informal collection ecosystem is fragmented; waste segregation at source remains weak in many Indian contexts.
- Competition & innovation: Other recycling technologies and alternatives (biodegradable packaging, etc.) are emerging; being ahead matters.
Why This Startup Matters
For your audience at Profit Journal, WITHOUT is a compelling story because:
- It marries technology innovation with social impact—a strong startup narrative in India’s purpose-driven entrepreneurship wave.
- It shows how addressing a neglected problem (unrecyclable plastics) can become a business opportunity.
- It’s an early stage but with clear growth potential and backed by credible tech and investment.
- It reflects a shift: from thinking of recycling as just collection & sorting, to full-cycle processing and manufacturing.
Key Takeaways
- Complex plastic waste (like MLP) is a growth challenge in India’s recycling ecosystem; startups like WITHOUT are stepping in.
- The company combines collection, patented separation technology, manufacturing and social inclusion into an integrated model.
- Transitioning from demonstration to scale — and from D2C to B2B supply — is the next frontier.
- Circular economy business models that address both environment and livelihoods are increasingly viable in India.
- For startups in this space, the moment is ripe: with stricter regulation on plastics and rising demand for sustainable materials.
FAQs
1. What kind of plastic waste does WITHOUT handle?
It focuses on multi-layered plastic packaging (MLP) – wrappers, sachets, flexible films made of multiple layers of plastic, aluminium, etc., and even contaminated soiled textiles.
2. How is their process unique?
They use a proprietary chemical-mechanical method to separate the layers, extract useful polymers (e.g., polyolefins), without using organic solvents and with a low-temperature, water-based system.
3. What products are made from the recycled waste?
Initial consumer product lines include eyewear frames, coasters, keychains, signage. Ultimately the aim is to supply recycled feedstock for industrial manufacturing.
4. How does WITHOUT impact waste-pickers?
Informal workers are brought onboard as formal employees: machine-operators, quality staff, given training, better incomes (2-3×), and stock option benefits.
5. What’s the growth strategy?
Scale up plant capacity from demonstration to commercial, expand processing volumes, move more into B2B supply, scale brand and product portfolio, and improve material cost and performance.
