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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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) published its Monthly Natural Rubber Statistical Report for August 2026, noting firmer prices in several markets. Supply constraints, stable downstream demand and persistent geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty shaped the month. Renewed conflict and disruptions to major shipping routes added further pressure.

Physical prices for major grades moved in different directions. SMR-20 in Kuala Lumpur averaged USD 2.31 per kg, up 4.25 percent from July, while STR-20 in Bangkok rose 1.40 percent to USD 2.39 per kg. RSS-3 dropped 4.18 percent to USD 2.80 per kg, but RSS-4 in Kottayam gained 0.57 percent to USD 2.92 per kg. Latex-in-bulk fell 4.73 percent to USD 1.73 per kg. Brent crude averaged USD 91.08 per barrel, driven by concerns over possible restrictions on oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and wider Middle East instability, which raised energy supply risks and strengthened the oil market risk premium.

On trade, China's imports climbed 3.39 percent month-on-month, while India fell 10.18 percent and Malaysia dropped 8.24 percent; Viet Nam rose 5.08 percent. Exports advanced 5.63 percent in Viet Nam but declined in Thailand (-5.24 percent), Indonesia (-5.36 percent), Malaysia (-1.48 percent) and Cambodia (-1.88 percent).

Global production is projected to rise 0.6 percent to 15.039 million tons in 2026 from 14.952 million tonnes in 2025, after revisions to Thailand's 2025 output and updated 2026 estimates for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Weather, including erratic rainfall and drier Southeast Asian conditions, affected output. August 2026 production was estimated at 1.396 million tonnes, down 4.51 percent from 1.462 million tonnes a year earlier. Demand is forecast to grow 0.4 percent to 15.356 million tonnes in 2026 from 15.301 million tonnes, with the largest consumption gains expected in China, Malaysia and Cambodia. Prospects depend on vehicle sales, tyre production, shipping conditions and weather-related supply disruptions, while steady EV-linked demand supported modest growth led by China and India. The ringgit traded between RM4.02 per USD and RM4.09 per USD, and the baht between 32.68 and 33.34. The SHFE January 2027 contract averaged 18,109 CNY per tonne, up 7.78 percent month-on-month, while the SGX November 2026 contract averaged USD 2.24 per kg, up 4.32 percent.

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HS HYOSUNG has formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Government of San Luis Potosí, with the signing taking place at the World Trade Center Mexico City. The event formed part of the Korea-Mexico Business Forum, held alongside the Korean economic delegation's visit to Mexico.

Attending officials included Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico's Secretary of Economy, and Mario García Valdez, Secretary of Economic Development of San Luis Potosí. The two sides confirmed their shared resolve to back the company's local investment and regional growth. Separately, HS HYOSUNG's leadership met bilaterally with Secretary Ebrard to elaborate on its strategic vision and investment plans.

The agreement sets out a phased expansion of HS HYOSUNG's investments in San Luis Potosí beginning in 2027, with the goal of creating a major advanced materials production hub that bolsters supply for North American and wider global markets. The company's advanced materials span tyre cord, a flagship world-leading product, along with mobility, energy, aerospace and defence applications. Its North American operations, spanning Mexico and the United States, turn out tyre cord, airbag materials and mobility interior components for global leaders such as General Motors and Goodyear, underpinned by a highly dependable global supply chain.

Nak-yang Sung, CEO, HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS, said, “This investment goes beyond establishing a simple manufacturing base – it reflects our strategy to turn Mexico into a pivotal hub connecting North America with global supply networks. We are also committed to strengthening local supply chains and creating high-quality jobs to contribute directly to the region's industrial ecosystem.”

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Kumho Petrochemical Group is steering its business towards research-driven, higher-value outputs as oversupply and soft demand continue to weigh on the worldwide petrochemical sector. The Seoul-based group outlined plans to boost spending on speciality chemicals, sustainable materials and novel production methods, a push intended to lift profits while building a foundation for future expansion.

Underlying the move is a deliberate evolution in the group's identity, from a bulk materials vendor to a provider of technology-backed solutions that address shifting customer requirements and stricter environmental rules. A central element of that effort involves widening the speciality lineup, exemplified by added capacity for solution styrene butadiene rubber, a synthetic rubber that enhances durability, rolling resistance and tread wear in high-performance electric vehicle tyres.

Environmental initiatives form another pillar. Facilities built by the company can trap approximately 76,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, while separately developed technology turns recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene sourced from scrapped household appliances into automotive-grade interior components that satisfy performance standards and generate fewer emissions than conventional methods. The group has also joined forces with POSCO Future M and BEI on anode-free lithium-metal battery development.

Parallel technology-focused programmes are underway at affiliated units. Kumho P&B Chemicals is formulating water-based epoxy resins that curb volatile organic compound releases while incorporating more bio-based inputs to reduce carbon intensity. Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is advancing bio-based polyurethane systems and electric vehicle materials, alongside debottlenecking work to add 100,000 tonnes of annual methylene diphenyl diisocyanate capacity. Kumho Polychem, meanwhile, is targeting ethylene propylene diene monomer through low-temperature polymerisation paired with energy-efficiency improvements.

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Birla Carbon has confirmed a price increase of up to 15 percent for its Speciality Materials products across Asia, scheduled to take effect on 1 October 2026. The company pointed to significant and sustained rises in feedstock costs, driven partly by ongoing geopolitical instability and disruptions in global feedstock markets, as the reason behind the adjustment.

Although Birla Carbon pursued operational efficiencies, supply chain optimisation and disciplined cost management to soften the impact, the scale and persistence of the cost escalation left a price adjustment unavoidable. The company's sales teams will engage customers directly to explain the details and help them navigate the transition.

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