ECOEX

The Silver Lining For a Cleaner India

“We need R&D in almost every department of the company whether it is BD, marketing, sales or even operations,” Nimit Aggarwal -Founder

The rising consumption of plastic has significantly revived the plastic crisis. With that, the production of plastic has skyrocketed, and simple waste management is not able to keep up. And the COVID-19 has just added fuel to the situation. There is no instant solution to it. Society needs plastic to function, but its consumption and disposal need to be kept in check. In developing nations like India, this is a more pressing concern. The country counts among the top 5 polluted nations, and the charts are rising.

In 2019, India’s average particulate matter concentration was 70.3 µg/m³ – the highest in the world, which accounts for a major proportion of global pollution. But there is a ray of hope with the Plastic-EPR credit model. It allows brands to go beyond their own footprint to promote plastic action by systematically reducing and redesigning plastic out of the system entirely. EcoEx, a novel startup in India, is commercializing this framework across the nation. The Company stands with pride as the first digital marketplace for plastic waste management in India.

AN INDUSTRY-FIRST
EcoEx was founded on the premise of simplifying the Plastic-EPR credit model and making plastic credit certificates accessible to all. But what is its importance? In a plastic-EPR credit model, a producer is obliged to verify that an equivalent amount of packaging waste has been recovered and recycled to meet their responsibility, rather than recycling their own packaging.

After that, evidence of recycling or recovery must be obtained from appropriately licenced processors or recyclers. EcoEx is the bridge that connects recyclers with producers and brand owners. It provides digital solutions that assist in identifying the source of plastics, channelling them, and disposing of them, as well as a complete set of documentation that ensures the project is carried out on the ground. EcoEx envisions a plastic-free future for the nation, providing monetary benefits for all parties involved. EcoEx has onboarded 60+ members and completed 20000 Metric Tonnes.

LEADERS OF DISTINCT PROFICIENCY
EcoEx was ushered into existence under the aegis of Nimit Agarwal (Founder and MD). He has an extensive history of working on sustainable solutions, plastic waste management and PET plastic waste. His ecominded entrepreneurship accounts for UNDP sustainable developments. He has also consulted numerous foreign recycling organizations with their planning and business strategy.

He is also helming BLS Ecotech as its director for nearly a decade, focusing on introducing innovative plastic recycling technology. After extensive experience, he started working on a vision to simplify the EPR fulfilling process. He aimed to make plastic credit certificates accessible for all, and decided to have a separate firm based on such services only. And that is how EcoEx came into existence. As of now, he is leading EcoEx from the front, keeping it aligned with strategic planning and the underlying vision.

However, he is not alone. He shares the panel with seasoned leaders like Akshaya Rath (CEO). Mr. Rath has over two decades of experience in e-commerce, supply chain and created and led a number of B2B companies. Starting as a C-Suite early, he has accomplished 30+ e-Tendering projects in Govt. departments & Public sector units in the domestic market. He also has a strong background in e-auctions, having managed a team to design an e-auction (reverse and forward) software solution in his former company.

With leaders of such calibre, EcoEx is consistent towards creating a cleaner tomorrow. It provides a sustainable digital ecosystem for stakeholders to conduct secure and mutually beneficial plastic credit certificate transactions from anywhere, at any time.

A TECH SAVVY WORKING MODEL
EcoEx inculcates a lot of R&D to stay aligned to the market and uphold the quality of its solutions. This includes making continuous developments in terms of technology, staying updated with laws, policies and even trends. EcoEx is running AI algorithms on its website and even implementing techniques to beat all the upcoming hassles.

With the support of a talented team, it is constantly elevating standards and scaling quality. They make sure the overall process of a transaction is secure, properly documented so that customers can have a hassle-free experience. EPR and Plastic-Credit is a new concept, and EcoEx is pioneering it in India. As such, the Company goes to every extent to propel trust and set the bars high to ensure a firm grip over the market completion.

The inward developments also extend to marketing approaches. EcoEx follows a 360° approach that covers social handles, PR, e-mailers and effective digital marketing. EcoEx keeps changing its techniques with new trends, guidelines and ensures to fulfil the Google marketing standards.

A PLACE FOR ENTHUSIASTIC PEOPLE
As a startup, EcoEx upholds a very energetic and funfilled environment. The majority of them are young, which ensures a transparent and holistic culture. Everyone is allowed to work freely and input ideas as they see fit. The transparency enables freewheeling communication, sharing and resolving issues together. “To keep our employees motivated, we run several rewards and recognition programs too,” shares Nimit. Furthermore, timely outings, lunches are a few things that keep them engaged with the Company.

The team’s transparency and enthusiasm played a prominent role amid the pandemic. Although EcoEx had its set of troubles and wasn’t able to tap the potential brands due to the unavailability of the concerned people. But they didn’t bow down. Instead, they stood together working on a remote framework and striving to close leads. Moreover, they ran several digital marketing campaigns and webinars to promote their services. To sum up, they did have a hard time adapting to the situation, but it also offered a great opportunity for networking and planning things around that.

ENVISIONING A ECO-HYGIENIC TOMORROW
EcoEx commenced its excursion with a team of two people, but as the stakes got higher, so did their team and capacity to perform. The Company now is an ecosystem of smart people with varied expertise ranging from marketing, sales, compliance, and operations. EcoEx envisages to be the patrons of a cleaner tomorrow and guide India’s waste management system towards self-sufficiency & self-efficacy.

“Our vision is to create a secure, transparent & equitable digital ecosystem to connect the stakeholders of the waste management value chain & enable them to work in harmony,” affirms Nimit. And everyone is attuned to achieve the desired goals and outcomes.