Pollution from plastic waste is a global threat to our environment. The Melitta Group seeks to contribute to solving this problem with the Fair Recycled Plastic initiative. Working together the Yunus Social Business Fund gGmbH and our subsidiary Cofresco have set up the recycling company ‘Vishuddh Recycle Pvt. Ltd.’ in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
At the plant, employees will produce about 2,000 tonnes of plastic granulate annually from so-called LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) waste, which will then be used to make bin liners at Melitta. LDPE is a soft plastic that is mainly used for bags. So far, there are only a few customers for this type of plastic in Bangalore. Our company Vishuddh Recycle will be a steady customer for LDPE and this means waste collection will become more lucrative over the long term.
For the recycling process, the LDPE is first sorted, then shredded, cleaned and dried in a washing plant. The shredded material is then heated and filtered in a regranulation plant to remove any remaining residues, such as printing inks. Finally, the granulate is extruded and packaged.
The used water is recycled and reused by being circulated back into the washing plant.
The Melitta Group is convinced that only consistent and comprehensive implementation of the circular economy principle can reduce the burden on the environment and lead to a world in which raw materials are used more effectively. Fair Recycled Plastic is an example of the circular economy in action. Plastic waste is processed, recycled and fed into a new production process. This initiative is therefore an important milestone on the way to a restructuring of plastic production and recycling.
Some of the profits from Fair Recycled Pastic will go towards two non-profit organisations that provide better health care and additional educational opportunities for the waste pickers and their families. Yunus Social Business and Melitta were both involved in the selection of the organisations. The Melitta Group has supported these organisations through its subsidiary Cofresco right from the start of production.
The NGO ‘Smile Foundation’ based in India offers free primary medical care for waste pickers and their families.
The ‘Hasiru Dala Trust’ runs educational activities such as community libraries and workshops in the poor areas of Bangalore.
The recycling company Vishuddh Recycle Pvt. Ltd. is a social business and was set up together with the Yunus Social Business Fund gGmbH. A company co-founded by Nobel Prize winner and economist Prof. Muhammad Yunus, who is the originator of the principle of Social Business.
Social business is a social form of doing business designed to provide long term solutions to people’s problems. Fair Recycled Plastic applies this concept by generating income through converting waste into a valuable raw material. Profits are then reinvested and used to benefit charitable organisations in Bangalore.
Fair Recycled Plastic aims to prevent pollution caused by microplastics and plastics in the oceans through collecting, processing and reusing plastic waste. Plastics do not only cause problems, but also have many advantages. For example, they enable better hygiene, can be very useful for transporting products and help extend the shelf life of food. They have properties that other materials either do not provide at all or can provide only with a worse ecological balance. However, it is important to use plastics correctly. If they are disposed of in the wrong way, they can harm the environment. But if they are consistently recycled, plastics do not harm the environment and are a valuable raw material and a useful resource in daily life.
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