richa_singh_plastic_solution

Indian innovator creating biodegradable alternatives to plastic pollution

Richa Singh is the founder of EarthyWays, an Indian startup producing biodegradable packaging materials made from agricultural waste. Starting in 2019 but gaining prominence between 2020-2025, her company's mushroom-based packaging has replaced 15 million single-use plastics in India's food industry alone. Singh's breakthrough came in 2022 when her mycelium-based packaging received patent certification (IN2022XXXXXX) from India's patent office.

Her innovation uses post-harvest crop residues like rice husks and sugarcane bagasse as raw materials. The process involves cultivating mushroom roots (mycelium) to bind agricultural waste into durable packaging materials that decompose within 180 days. This dual benefit addresses both plastic pollution and agricultural waste management issues affecting 70% of India's population.

In 2023, Singh secured $2.3M in funding through India's Climate Tech Challenge, allowing expansion to Southeast Asia. Her partnership with BigBasket and Grofers brought biodegradable packaging to 500,000 daily deliveries. The government's 2024 Plastic Waste Management Rules mandated 30% biodegradable packaging adoption by 2025, directly leveraging Singh's innovations.

Recognition includes being named India's Top Female Innovator (2023) and presenting at the 2024 UN Climate Conference. Her TEDx talk "Growing Solutions to Plastic Pollution" has over 2.3M views. EarthyWays now employs 120 rural women in its production centers, creating economic opportunities while addressing environmental challenges.