India needs better materials and no longer needs recycling to solve its plastic problems: Vaibhav Anant, CEO of Bambrew

Metamaterial innovation company Bambrew has developed packaging solutions using renewable materials such as bamboo, seaweed and other natural fibers. The idea is to ensure that these products perform like plastic but break down without damaging the environment.

Bambrew was founded in 2018 with the goal of creating a commercially viable alternative to silencing plastics. The company has witnessed 8x growth in 2024 alone, driven by strategic partnerships in FMCG, e-commerce and retail. Its financial trajectory is strong, with revenues growing by more than 55% (year-on-year).

Bambrew has received investment from leading venture capital firms including Blume Ventures, Blue Ashva Capital and Mumbai Angels, which enables it to expand R&D, scale production and deepen market penetration.

Bambrew in an exclusive conversation with MINT, Vaibhav Anant said in an exclusive conversation with MINT that the goal is to replace single-use plastic by making sustainable packaging available to businesses in various industries.

Unlike many alternatives that encounter restrictions in decomposition or waste disposal, the materials his company uses naturally decompose, even under real-world waste conditions, Anant said. Excerpts edited in the interview:

India remains the largest plastic waste generator in the world. Why?

India uses more plastic than today, thus increasing our plastic waste problems multiple times. The challenge is largely that we don’t have the right system to address and manage this.

“9 million tons of plastic waste”

Every year, we generate over 9 million tons of plastic waste, nearly 59% of which comes from packaging. On the one hand, our waste management framework can’t keep up with how our sales and stores have changed dramatically due to the introduction of 10 minutes of delivery and the spread of e-commerce.

Have worked hard to solve this problem, right?

Yes, the government has taken positive measures, such as the Plastic Waste Management Amendment implemented in 2022 (2021), aiming to mitigate the crisis by banning 19 single-use plastics.

However, implementation is weak on one level, and on the other level, legislative bans (for example) single use of plastics does not account for several problematic varieties of plastic. Furthermore, recycling is a vast area, with countless challenges facing every level starting with isolation strategies.

Are there some behavioral problems?

Many people believe that switching to paper bags or so-called biodegradable plastics will solve the problem, but the reality is more complicated. Paper bags require a lot of water and energy to produce, and most biodegradable plastics don’t actually break down unless handled under highly controlled conditions that are not present in most Indian cities. result? These alternatives are usually like regular plastic and end up wasting.

What is the solution?

Instead, we need to make a complete shift in how packaging is thinking – focusing on truly sustainable materials and systems to ensure they are reused or processed correctly. At Bambrew, we work with businesses who want to get rid of plastic, and we have seen that the biggest obstacle is not just cost – it is also awareness and infrastructure.

Many Indian cities rely on informal waste workers to collect, sort and recycle plastics, but formal policies rarely support them. If we integrate them correctly and build better recycling and composting systems, we can create a circular economy that minimizes plastic waste.

But it requires efforts from all parties – businesses must invest in real alternatives, governments must enforce policies more strictly, and consumers must rethink how they use and dispose of plastic. The problem is big, but if we take action now, the solution can be achieved.

Are you concerned about waste management rather than production control?

India’s approach to plastic pollution focuses more on waste management than production control. This strategic choice is driven by the country’s position as a developing economy where plastics play a crucial role in industries such as packaging, retail and manufacturing.

In the 2024 Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, India has pushed for a model that prioritizes better waste management and recycling rather than limiting plastic production. The argument is clear – overly aggressively limiting plastic production could damage industries, jobs and economic growth. However, relying solely on waste management is not a long-term solution, especially when waste is in a trend towards upward trend.

Global experience shows that countries such as Rwanda and the EU that effectively deal with plastic pollution have combined strong recycling systems with upstream measures such as phasing out unnecessary plastics and promoting alternatives. India has certainly taken measures in this direction, such as banning certain single-use plastics, but law enforcement remains inconsistent and plastic production is still rising.

Can sustainable packaging be a real option?

Sustainable packaging is not only an alternative, but the future. The real question is whether it can match plastic in terms of affordability, scalability and durability. At Bambrew, we actively prove that it can.

“A method of focusing on insufficient materials”

The focus has long been on reducing plastics, but there are no real, viable alternatives. That’s why we take a method of insufficient materials to develop naturally compostable solutions from bamboo, Standard Chartered and seaweed that break down the material without industrial compost while maintaining the strength and flexibility of the plastic.

The real challenge is not whether sustainable packaging can work, but whether industries and policy makers will support it with the urgency they need.

Sustainability and profitability are not opposing forces – when done right, they reinforce each other. The key to transitioning to a green alternative without financial pressure is to view sustainability as an investment, not a cost.

At Bambrew, we see ourselves at the forefront of this transition. Within five years, our goal is to be a provider of sustainable packaging solutions across industries such as FMCG, food delivery, e-commerce, and other industries.