Pooja Apte Badamikar is the Founder of BlinkGreen, an eco-friendly startup that upcycles tyre scrap to make fashion worthy footwear. Like many in India, Pooja completed her engineering and took up a job in the IT sector. She worked there for about four years while completing her post-graduation in renewable energy from The Energy and Research Institute (TERI).

“Environment and sustainability has always been my passion since school days. TERI is a well-known university for the related courses. I wanted to start my career in the environmental sector, which is why I opted for a PG in Renewable Energy subject,” Pooja says.

While hunting for a job in this very niche sector, she came across the field of upcycling waste material, specifically tyres. “Upcycling is the best way to reduce landfills. With very minimum investment we can start the business. The most important part here is that we can replace the virgin material normally used and hence reduce the use of natural resources like oils and water.”

With the drive to reduce landfills and waste in our country Pooja looked across the globe for ways to utilise scrap tyres for footwear. She says, “During my post-graduation I started reading about upcycling and recycling of different materials. Very few of us know that tyre waste is a very serious issue and a miniscule amount is recycled out of it. So, I started brainstorming on the topic and the idea that footwear can be made from scrap tyres worked. It also helps to reduce landfills. Then I started working on the idea and with the help of local cobblers, we were successful in making 2 prototypes of footwear where the soles were made of upcycled tyres. The first prototype was made up of airplane tyres and the second one was made of scrap truck tyres.”

Putting her ideas and education together, Pooja was able to develop two prototypes and was ready to show the country how we can help the environment and make it sustainable. “I enrolled myself in the startup India competition – ‘Start Up yatra.’ To my surprise, I won an award for ‘Upcoming Women Entrepreneur’ in Nov 2018. That’s when the journey started for me by turning the idea into business.”

So, how does she upcycle tyres?

“We have a few local sources in Pune who supply old tyres and we get them machine cut and use them to cover the bottom part with the footwear.” BlinkGreen also employs several women from self-help groups to work on stitching the fabric for the footwear. Put all this together and you get great footwear that reduces tyre waste and helps save the environment.

We asked Pooja how she was able to start a business like this, “I won Rs 50,000 in the ‘Upcoming Woman Entrepreneur’ category, organised by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society for ‘Start Up yatra’. In July 2019, I approached the Bank of India for a Mudra loan for small businesses and this is all the funding options that have helped me sustain my startup.”

Great start. But, can this work?

“Until now we have upcycled around 500 kgs of waste tyres. Which means we have 500 kg less tyre waste in our landfills until now. Conventionally footwear soles are made of plastic or virgin rubber. Which means we have helped to reduce the use of almost equal amounts of plastic by replacing it with the scrap tyre. So, we have helped to reduce the use of a large number of resources (like oils and water) which otherwise might have been consumed for manufacturing plastic.”

Can upcycling waste as a career or a business?

“The Circular Economy has great opportunities to start your business. It will definitely help society, business and environment. But the most important part in the upcycling business is, it should not jeopardize the quality of the final product.”

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ARLANXEO has launched its ISCC PLUS-certified Keltan Eco rubber grades in India, responding to rising demand for sustainable materials in the world’s most populous nation.

The German-based performance elastomers manufacturer unveiled the portfolio through technical seminars and workshops, targeting automotive components, wires and cables applications where customers increasingly value environmental credentials.

The Keltan Eco range comprises Eco-B and Eco-BC grades derived from bio-based and bio-circular feedstocks, respectively, whilst maintaining identical physical and mechanical properties to conventional fossil fuel-based products. The materials offer resistance to oxygen, ozone, heat and radiation.

ARLANXEO employs a mass balance approach for certification, ensuring the volume of Eco-labelled products corresponds with sustainable source feedstock volumes. This methodology provides supply chain transparency and enables customers to verify sustainability claims in downstream applications.

“This new portfolio will help our customers seize sustainable growth opportunities in India and stay ahead amid industry transformation,” said Rupesh Shah, ARLANXEO India’s Managing Director and Regional Sales Head.

The company also showcased its Therban hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber speciality grades during the events, targeting original equipment manufacturers and component producers. Therban applications include air conditioning seals, timing belts, high-temperature gaskets for oil platforms and spacecraft components.

ARLANXEO operates as one of the world’s largest synthetic rubber producers with more than 10 production sites across eight countries and four research and development locations globally. The company serves automotive, tyre, electrical, construction and oil and gas sectors.

The Indian launch forms part of ARLANXEO’s broader strategy to expand sustainable product offerings across key growth markets. Additional ISCC PLUS-certified synthetic rubber grades will be introduced in India following the initial rollout.

India’s steady rubber consumption growth, driven by the automotive and infrastructure sectors, signals a significant opportunity for speciality chemical producers aiming for sustained market expansion. ARLANXEO is well-positioned to meet this demand, marking a decisive step toward a greener, more innovative rubber industry in India.

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Rathi Group, a leader in pyrolysis and end-of-life tyre (ELT) recycling, has achieved a significant milestone with its first export shipment of ISCC PLUS-certified pyrolysis oil. With over 12 years of industry expertise, the company continues to set benchmarks in sustainable recycling, innovation and circular economy practices.

This landmark export highlights Rathi Group’s ability to supply globally recognised, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. The company’s integrated operations – spanning ELT shredding, continuous pyrolysis, carbon black recovery and oil distillation – adhere to stringent international sustainability standards.

The ISCC PLUS certification underscores Rathi Group’s commitment to environmental responsibility, supply chain transparency and climate-conscious solutions. The accomplishment reflects the efforts of its dedicated team and partners, reinforcing the company’s mission to drive impactful change in sustainable tyre recycling.

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Kraton Corporation, a global leader in speciality polymers and renewable biomaterials, has published its 2024 Sustainability Report, Innovating with Purpose. The report outlines the company’s advancements in climate action, circular product solutions and supply chain sustainability, reinforcing its commitment to a greener future.

Key achievements include a 41 percent reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions since 2014, a 35 percent decrease in emissions intensity and maintaining EcoVadis’ Platinum rating for the fourth straight year. Kraton also received the 2024 Nitto Supplier Sustainability Award and conducted a Double Materiality Assessment to refine its ESG strategy.

Operational milestones feature a USD 35 million upgrade to its Florida biorefinery, expanded lifecycle assessment (LCA) data covering 90 percent of its product portfolio and a new data excellence programme to enhance ESG transparency.

Aligned with GRI, SASB, UN Global Compact and TCFD frameworks, the report emphasises Kraton’s sustainability pillars: Reliable Partnerships, Planetary Stewardship and Empowering People. These efforts reflect the company’s dedication to responsible innovation and measurable environmental progress.

Marcello Boldrini, CEO, Kraton, said, “2024 marked a pivotal year in Kraton’s sustainability journey. We turned ambition into action, significantly reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 41 percent from our 2014 baseline and earned an EcoVadis Platinum rating for the fourth consecutive year. We accelerated our decarbonisation strategy, advanced biobased innovation and partnered with customers such as WJ Group and Henkel to help address global sustainability challenges. As demand for sustainable chemicals grows, our focus remains on developing the right solutions, fostering strong partnerships and cultivating the culture necessary to lead this transformation responsibly and competitively.”

Rogier Roelen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Kraton, said, “We have established new processes to scale credible, data-driven sustainability across our business. In 2024, we enhanced our ESG reporting through a data harmonisation programme and completed a Double Materiality Assessment to better align with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). We also expanded our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data to cover almost 90 percent of our product portfolio, providing customers with greater transparency into the environmental impact of our products. These efforts reinforce our ability to identify where we can make the most impact and support more informed, strategic decision-making.”

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The German rubber industry is undergoing significant shifts, according to the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) in its mid-2025 economic report. While order trends show improvement for the first time in years, domestic production continues to struggle, reflecting broader structural challenges.

High energy costs, excessive bureaucracy and rising labour expenses remain persistent hurdles, particularly for globally competitive firms. Although rising orders may boost annual sales slightly compared to 2024, domestic output is expected to decline by one percent. Many companies are relocating production abroad due to Germany’s worsening cost disadvantages.

The federal government’s ‘investment booster’ initiative has failed to inspire confidence, with only 27 percent of industry leaders anticipating positive effects. wdk President Michael Klein described this as an alarming sign, emphasising that businesses lack faith in current economic policies. He urged immediate relief measures rather than delayed solutions.

Klein also stressed the need for inclusive policymaking, criticising the government’s focus on large corporations while neglecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He warned that without targeted support for these critical players, Germany risks losing its status as a key industrial hub for the rubber sector. The call for urgent action highlights growing concerns over the industry’s future viability in the country.

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