How Minus Degre is turning plastic waste into eco-friendly materials

In the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, two brothers from Ghaziabad, Rahul Vashukhi and Vikash Kumar, decided to leave their corporate jobs behind. Although they did not have a specific business idea in mind, they were determined to make a tangible impact on their environment. The brothers began observing the plastic waste accumulating around them and realized its potential as a resource.

Vashukhi explained, “At that time, all packaged foods were mostly plastic packages. Most of that plastic would eventually find its way to one giant landfill. We started experimenting with it, hoping to create something useful.” This experiment eventually led to the development of a process to recycle plastic waste into a solid material, which they named Eco-Panel.

In 2021, their venture transformed into a climatetech startup called Minus Degre Minus Degre. The company collects and processes plastic waste, converts it into Eco-Panel, and then manufactures products for businesses and consumers, customizing the material for various applications such as furniture, interiors, and everyday utility items.

Minus Degre is headquartered in Ghaziabad and currently employs a team of 15 people. The startup has recently set up a 16,000-square-foot factory to increase its production capacity. The name Minus Degre is a reflection of the company’s mission to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste. To date, Minus Degre has recycled 300 tonnes of plastic waste.

The process of transforming plastic waste into Eco-Panel involves several steps. First, the waste is collected and segregated by type. Next, the material is shredded and washed to remove any impurities. Then, the cleaned plastic is compressed through a controlled heating and cooling process. Depending on the specific type of plastic and its individual melting and cooling points, it is converted into Eco-Panel, which can subsequently be molded into various products.

Vashukhi mentioned that the company has developed both the method and machinery required for this manufacturing process. However, Minus Degre has chosen not to patent the process at the moment. “It is actually easy to decode a patent, and we don’t want to reveal anything to our competitors,” Vashukhi stated. “However, we don’t know how long we can continue with this.

At some point, when we approach VCs, they may require us to patent it.” Eco-Panel, the result of this process, can be used similarly to other solid materials and can be molded into a wide range of products, including furniture, seating modules, and smaller consumer goods.