Veena Sudhakar

Environmental activist driving plastic recycling initiatives in India

Veena Sudhakar is an Indian environmental engineer and founder of Plastic Recycling India, an organization dedicated to reducing plastic waste through community-driven solutions. Born in 1975, Sudhakar gained prominence in the early 2000s by addressing India's growing plastic pollution crisis. She pioneered the 'Doorstep Recycling' model, where households segregate plastic waste in exchange for cash or coupons. This initiative has diverted over 100 million kg of plastic from landfills and oceans since 2008. Sudhakar's work intersects with policy, influencing the Indian government's 2016 ban on single-use plastics in certain states. Her advocacy for circular economies led to partnerships with NGOs like Greenpeace India and multinational corporations. A vocal critic of corporate greenwashing, she emphasizes grassroots education, training over 50,000 waste pickers in recycling techniques. Challenges include inconsistent government enforcement and corporate resistance, but Sudhakar's model has inspired similar programs in Bangladesh and Kenya. Her TEDx talk Plastic Waste Can Be a Resource, Not a Problem has garnered global attention. Sudhakar's legacy lies in proving that systemic environmental change requires both technological innovation and community empowerment.