The Pune-based deep-tech company WITHOUT was founded in 2020 with a bold mission: to convert the so-called “unrecyclable” multi-layer plastics (MLP) that dominate India’s waste stream into usable raw materials. India generates over 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually—nearly 20% of the global total—and MLP such as chip packets and shampoo sachets are less than 1% recycled. WITHOUT’s proprietary process, branded Verdicycle™, uses a chemo-mechanical method to delaminate, demetallise, decolourise and extract high-grade polymers under mild conditions (120 °C, no organic solvents).

On the social front, the company partners with informal waste‐pickers, converting them into formal employees with higher income and equity options. Over its demonstration plant capable of processing five tonnes per month is operational, with plans for full-scale commercialisation ahead. While early revenue remains modest (products like eyewear, key-chains made from recycled MLP), the vision is clear: build a circular-economy platform that turns low-value residue into high-value materials and jobs. In short: WITHOUT exemplifies how innovation, impact and inclusion can converge to tackle one of India’s most persistent environmental crises—giving hope that even “impossible” plastics can be reclaimed and repurposed.