Siddharth Ingale, a civil engineer started Scrapcash  a startup based out of Pune, that helps people in managing their recyclable waste. This startup is managing the dry waste based on the principle of 3 R’s which is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. In conversation with Selvi Pareek from the EarthView, Ingale shared his journey and how his startup is helping in the betterment of the environment. 

Q) What is Scrapcash and how it works?

Siddharth: Scrapcash is an organisation started in 2016 and it works for recycling the solid dry waste such as glass bottles, plastic bottles, boxes, tetra packs and other plastic waste. These waste are normally thrown out  or given to the vendors who come to our doors to collect trash. However, most of these vendors don’t take it to the respective recyclers and the proper disposal of these waste does not happen. This leads to causing damages to the environment. Whereas Scrapcash is working to improve this cycle of waste management so that the solid dry waste that is collected is disposed off properly without damaging the environment. We are connected with several societies in Pune from where we collect the dry solid waste weekly and thereafter we segregate and give it to the respective recyclers so that the proper management of waste happens without causing any damage to the environment. 

Q.) Why is it named as Scrapcash?

Siddharth: The name itself suggests that cash or monetary benefits are involved in dealing with your scrap. See everyone wants to earn something and therefore just like scrap vendors, we also give money to the people in the exchange of the scrap. This money is given to one person in the society who manages the trash. They utilize this money either for the maintenance of society or their building. So, in this way, everyone is earning something by disposing ofF their trash without causing any harmful effects on the environment.

Q) what are the benefits of recycling the waste?

Siddharth: We don’t reuse things like tetra packs but they are recycled again to make new tetra packs. Therefore, when we collect these trash from respective societies, we take this stuff and segregate them and send it to the respective processing plants. The glass bottles are again melted and used to make glass, the newspaper is also sent for recycling and reusing it. This recycle model helps them in getting rid of trash at home which does nothing but takes unnecessary space in your homes.

Q) How is this method beneficial for the environment?

Siddharth: When this dry scrap goes with the garbage vans they get mixed with the wet garbage and proper segregation does not happen. All of this garbage goes to landfills which are increasing with each passing day. This leads to causing damage to the environment and if some animal mistakenly consumes things like plastics, it might be dangerous for them. However, by following such a recycling model, all the stuff gets collected and segregated in an organised way. This eventually goes to the respective recyclers and gets recycled or reused. This end to end waste management model helps in solving the problem of waste without causing any toxic effects on the environment.  

Q) what are your plans for the future?

Siddharth: I want to establish this startup and waste management model on a large scale and expand it to the entire city of Pune. My aim is also to create awareness among masses to understand the importance of recycling the scrap and utilise the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle.