It’s a recycling revolution in Bengaluru city with a strategic partnership of The Body Shop of the United Kingdom and Indian startup called Plastics for Change. The duo has an aim to transform lives and protect our planet.
Plastics for Change was founded in 2015 by Shifrah Jacobs and Andrew Almack. They had vision of creating a fair trade platform for recycled plastic. They mainly wanted to connect waste pickers in India with global brands. This means the discarded plastic is focused into converting to high-quality recycled packaging. This also means environment cleaning and providing sufficient income to 2 million waste pickers across India.
The journey for the founders was not easy. They faced challenges convincing The Body Shop to partner with Plastics for Change. The process resulted positive after years of dedication and seven trips to The Body Shop’s headquarters. The Body Shop finally saw potential in the Indian startup and thereafter joined hands in 2019.
The achievement in partnering was a game-changer for Plastics for Change. The Body Shop brought has an experience of more than 30 years in fair trade and supply chains.
Shifrah Jacobs said that The Body Shop provided expertise to them and also guaranteed to purchase the recycled raw materials. This was crucial for them in building a stable and sustainable business model.
The Body Shop educated them based on the European standards for plastic and ensured safe and food-grade plastics were used in cosmetics packaging.
The Body Shop simultaneously helped the startup in understanding the complexities of the recycling industry. The learning including removing PVC labels on bottles and creating transparent systems with mobile apps for waste tracking. It provided all the required tools to succeed in the industry.
