AWARD WINNER: First Place in the 2025 Ivey Publishing Sustainability Case Writing Awards
In June 2023, the founder of Karma Ecotech Limited (EcoEx), an India-based business-to-business digital marketplace offering plastic-waste-management services to corporations to help them meet mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations, faced a number of challenges: Many businesses were unaware of the necessity for EPR compliance and the penalties they might face for non-compliance. The waste-management sector included many informal waste pickers and recyclers, who did not receive fair compensation for their services, and its recycling infrastructure was inadequate. Public behaviour regarding plastic waste presented a further obstacle. How could he raise awareness among corporations and the public? What steps should he take to transition the informal system into a formal marketplace? How could he ensure that stakeholders met the stringent EPR targets set to take effect in 2025, create a meaningful impact, and intensify his contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?