India, Oct. 23 -- Pune's waste pickers, through Project Protoprint, sought to create a fully compliant, waste picker-owned plastic recycling unit.

The unit's commitment to fair wages, environmental compliance, and circularity led to a loss of Rs 14.5 per kg of processed plastic.

By contrast, standard industry models that externalise labour and environmental costs showed marginal profit.

The findings raise questions about who bears the "true cost" of recycling in India's circular economy.

Reforms are needed in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), taxation, and material design to make just recycling viable.

Project Protoprint, supported by SWaCH and the European Union's Switch-Asia Programme, was an ambitious attempt by Pune's waste...