State | Country: India
EcoVeda — a pioneering initiative tackling the challenge of pharmaceutical packaging waste by launching India’s first dedicated Medical Blister Recycling Program. They transform discarded blister packs into valuable materials like aluminium and PVC powders while also working on biodegradable packaging alternatives.”
Medical blister packs — widely used for tablets and capsules — represent one of the most under-addressed waste streams in India. EcoVeda is the first structured solution designed to recycle these blisters at scale, bridging a critical gap in healthcare sustainability.
The Problem
- 💊 Scale of the Issue: Over 1 million tonnes of plastic is produced annually for medicine packaging in India.
- 📦 Blister Dominance: Nearly 85% of tablets come in blister packs.
- 🗑️ Lack of Recycling: Currently, these blisters are either incinerated (causing air pollution and GHG emissions), landfilled, or worse, end up in oceans.
- ⚠️ Recycling Contamination: If blister packs enter standard recycling streams, they contaminate other recyclables, making waste management even harder.
EcoVeda offers the first systematic recycling pathway for blister packs, creating value where previously there was only waste and pollution.
Circular Economy Alignment
EcoVeda’s model is deeply aligned with circular economy principles:
- 🔄 Resource Recovery: Extracts valuable aluminium powder and PVC powder from waste blister packs, closing the material loop.
- 🏭 Industrial Reuse:
- Aluminium powder (market rate: ~₹150/kg) serves industries such as aluminium ingots, paints, coatings, construction, chemicals, metallurgy, and adhesives.
- PVC powder (market rate: ~₹55/kg) supplies manufacturers of pipes, granules, electronics, cables, and packaging.
- 🌱 Alternative Packaging: Alongside recycling, EcoVeda is exploring biodegradable packaging alternatives, aiming to eliminate the root cause of blister waste.
- 🚫 Waste Diversion: Prevents blisters from ending up in landfills or incineration, thus reducing environmental degradation and GHG emissions.
By integrating waste-to-resource innovation, EcoVeda not only manages pollution but also creates circular supply chains across multiple industries.
Impact
While the initiative is still emerging, EcoVeda’s potential positive impacts are significant:
🌍 Environmental
- Diverts medical blister waste from incineration and landfills.
- Reduces carbon emissions associated with both incineration and virgin material extraction.
- Prevents contamination of standard recycling streams.
🏭 Economic & Industrial
- Creates a new domestic supply of secondary aluminium and PVC.
- Provides cost-effective recycled raw materials to diverse industries.
- Reduces dependency on virgin mining and petroleum-based plastics.
👥 Social & Systemic
- Pioneers structured healthcare waste recycling infrastructure in India.
- Raises awareness within pharmaceutical, healthcare, and waste management sectors.
- Contributes to national sustainability and circular economy targets.
EcoVeda marks a breakthrough in India’s circular economy journey, tackling a waste stream previously ignored. By converting pharmaceutical blister packs into high-value raw materials like aluminium and PVC powders — and exploring biodegradable alternatives — EcoVeda bridges healthcare, environment, and industry in a way that is scalable and replicable.
This initiative is a first mover in medical packaging circularity, with the potential to shape both national policy and global best practices.
Contact Information
Founder: Savrang Jain R
Company: EcoVeda Ventures
Location: Chennai, India
Email: ecoveda.business@gmail.com
Phone: +91 98849 12459