Interviewed by Syed Md. Rakeen, Team MBR

EcoVia is a clean-tech startup that specialises in compostable packaging solutions with its unique and revolutionary technology using clothing waste. This ground-breaking solution not only solves plastic pollution but also ensures the best reuse of clothing waste, which no one has done before. EcoVia can save the planet by putting an end to plastic pollution with its unique patented recipe. Team MBR was in conversation with Mr. Rashik Hassan and had an insightful discussion regarding his vision of reducing plastic pollution through his unique eco-friendly solutions.

Syed Md. Rakeen: Since the inception of EcoVia in 2020, it has made remarkable progress in terms of addressing concerns regarding the growing use of plastic bags in Bangladesh. Would you kindly share with us what inspired you to form a startup like EcoVia?

Rashik Hassan: The plastic pollution in Dhaka city was so severe that it felt like it was suffocating us, and that’s what initially drove us to start EcoVia. Right from the beginning of our journey, we were committed to finding eco-friendly solutions. One of the pressing environmental issues in our country is plastic pollution, and that’s why we decided to tackle it as our first priority. The main reason for choosing this problem is its silent yet devastating impact. Numerous studies have highlighted that microplastics contaminate water, food, and even plants, leading to hormonal disruptions and even serious illnesses like cancer. Unfortunately, this issue often goes unnoticed and is rarely addressed. That’s why EcoVia has made a promise to the world – we aim to eliminate plastic pollution by introducing alternatives to conventional plastics.

Syed Md. Rakeen: The process of converting cotton-based waste from the ready-made garment (RMG) industry to biodegradable bags must have required a lot of trial and error and testing. Would you please walk us through the journey of experimentation, starting with the first trial?

Rashik Hassan: The start of the journey was rather unexpected. We were experimenting with cotton fabric waste to chemically recycle it to form viscose yarn. Accidentally, we produced some cellulose powder, which was of no use back then. However, we used those powders and converted them into polymers, which could be used to make bags. On our first trial, there were issues with strength and heat stability. The bags we made were mostly soluble in water, causing them to lose strength in humid and freezing temperatures. However, after a lot of research and development, we were successful in producing an ideal polymer sheet that was heat-sealable as well as durable. In our second trial, we had this one variation of bags that were opaque in consistency with a matte finish on their surface. Then again, in order to meet the needs of our current customers, we had to go through a third trial in order to produce translucent and transparent versions of our products. For such a significant shift in product quality, we needed new machines. After receiving the seed fund, we bought new machines in a facility of our own, producing various kinds of polymers using cellulose. Now, we have eight commercially available polymers that are being sold to various companies. We also have customisation options for the various needs of buyers. R&D is a continuous journey where our core USPs are aligned.

Syed Md. Rakeen: The Daily Star reported that Bangladesh can save USD 500 million annually if the cotton waste from RMG factories can be recycled efficiently. How does EcoVia collaborate with the aforementioned industry to source cotton waste, which is the raw material for EcoVia to produce biodegradable bags?

Rashik Hassan: The cotton waste generated by the ready-made garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh is typically exported to neighbouring countries, where it is recycled and transformed from a byproduct into a principal product. Unfortunately, the recycling infrastructure within Bangladesh is not yet well-equipped to handle RMG waste efficiently, resulting in mismanagement and exportation by influential groups or syndicates. This situation limits the opportunities for regular recyclers to access these waste materials. Nonetheless, there is a shift towards adopting modern recycling technologies within the local landscape. Several companies in Bangladesh are now engaged in recycling cotton-based fabric scraps into blends of recycled cotton. During this process, cotton dust, a well-recognised waste product generated when converting fabric scraps into cotton blends, is collected by EcoVia. Our sustainability partners, including a Spanish venture named Recover, contribute to the collection of this cotton dust. In addition to collaborating with sustainability partners, the majority of our buyers send us their cotton waste. Our company then processes this waste to create compostable polymers, which are subsequently sold back to the buyers. On occasion, we also acquire cotton waste from secondary markets known as “Jhut Polli.”

Syed Md. Rakeen: Clothing stores, restaurant chains, brick-and-mortar shops, and supermarkets use large volumes of bags on a daily basis, similar to what EcoVia currently offers. Have you developed any distribution channels yet to increase the availability of biodegradable bags?

Rashik Hassan: The go-to-market for EcoVia is the European and North American fashion brands which are having their garments manufactured in Bangladesh. These brands are the frontrunners in sustainability, so our products are wholeheartedly welcomed there. Apart from the global fashion industry, the global e-commerce, super shops, and logistics industries are also shifting to sustainable packaging due to strong regulations against conventional plastics. Our development is also going on in these domains because of the higher potential for collaboration there. However, for local clothing stores, restaurants, and supermarkets, we do have distributor networks that work for us on a commission basis. We are also actively recruiting distributors who want to export our products abroad.

Syed Md. Rakeen: EcoVia has won a whole host of competitions, two of them being Climate Launchpad back in 2020 (South Asian Regional Final) and the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge organised by BYLC in the same year. Apart from the prize money received from the competitions, has EcoVia looked for any fund-raising so far in its journey?

Rashik Hassan: Our team has participated in various clean-tech and startup competitions both nationally and internationally and received commendable results in those. From being a global finalist of Climate Launchpad and the IDEO Beyond the Bag Challenge to being Champion of Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, Megapreneurs 2.0 EcoVia has a proven record of success in startup competitions. EcoVia obtained pre-seed funding from BYLC in 2020, and in the subsequent year, the company successfully secured a seed funding round from a well-known local conglomerate. These rounds of funding enabled EcoVia to effectively execute its pilot project and subsequently launch its commercial operations. Despite these achievements, EcoVia is working towards a bigger plan for launching internationally while introducing a range of innovative new products.

Syed Md. Rakeen: Adopting biodegradable bags as opposed to non-biodegradable bags depends a lot on some key factors, such as cost, convenience, and availability. How is EcoVia strategising to compete with nonbiodegradable bag manufacturers?

Rashik Hassan: EcoVia is a clean-tech company specialising in bio-polymer innovation. Our technology has a major edge over any other non- biodegradable product. Our latest recipes have helped us produce biobags, which are almost equal in price to non-degradable bags. The biobags we make can be equated with non-biodegradable bags in terms of strength and functionality. Through this commitment to quality, we can ensure that the buyers can get good-quality bags at an affordable price while keeping our promise to conserve the environment. Apart from that, the opportunity of getting green accreditation and saving the environment comes with a value that is not measurable in money.

Syed Md. Rakeen: As the RMG sector continues to experience an upturn in its exports, evident by a 6.67% YoY growth in FY2022-23, more cotton waste is likely to be produced from the RMG factories. How is EcoVia preparing itself to collect the increasing volume of cotton waste more efficiently?

Rashik Hassan: EcoVia plans on going through two major approaches to collect pre-consumer apparel waste and cotton fly from the market. Firstly, we plan on collaborating with major brands so that they can provide us with the waste from their value chain so that we can convert it into packaging materials for their use, thus ensuring circularity. Secondly, we plan to collaborate with circularity platforms like reverse resources, which specialise in tracking and distributing waste generated in the apparel value chain. This will allow us to efficiently manage our supplier portfolio as well as share the traceability of our packaging materials with our consumers, thus ensuring transparency in our supply chain.

Syed Md. Rakeen: The increased amount of RMG waste due to the large volume of RMG production has already created environmental concerns among the masses. From your perspective, how should environmental awareness be raised among consumers in a bid to increase the gradual acceptance of biodegradable bags?

Rashik Hassan: Consumers should be the ultimate target for branding and marketing efforts. If consumers can be given information on how EcoVia packaging can turn into organic fertiliser just like bananas or other fruit peels, they will be able to relate easily. Biodegradable material is also made from plant-based resources, which allows it to be more responsible. Already, there is worldwide awareness among the younger generations regarding global warming and climate change. We plan to raise awareness among consumers by first educating them about the plastic pollution problem. Once the target groups are concerned about the pollution, we get an organic pull from the customer side; this is when the conversion generally happens.