Mira Mehta

Indian environmental scientist pioneering plastic alternatives from agricultural waste

Mira Mehta is an Indian materials scientist whose groundbreaking research in biomaterials has led to the development of BioSynthix - a compostable packaging material made from sugarcane waste. This innovation, launched in 2018, has replaced over 200 million single-use plastics in India's food packaging industry. Her company Green Matters Labs now supplies eco-friendly packaging to 80% of India's organic food sector.

Mehta's work in converting agricultural byproducts into sustainable materials has created new revenue streams for rural farmers. Her 2021 study published in Nature Sustainability demonstrated how her bioplastic production process reduces carbon emissions by 78% compared to conventional plastics. This research earned her the Global Green Innovation Prize in 2022.

Her recent venture AgroWaste Innovations is scaling production to Southeast Asia and Africa. Partnering with the Indian government's Swachh Bharat initiative, her technologies are now used in 15 states for municipal waste management. Mehta's TED Talk "From Waste to Wonder" has become a cornerstone of sustainability education programs worldwide.