India generates 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily, and recycles less than 60% of it. Dr. Sameer Joshi, Chairman of the Indian Plastics Institute and UN plastics treaty negotiator, breaks down exactly why, and what needs to change.Timestamps:0:00 Introduction to the Carbon Circle and Dr. Sameer Jooshi2:09 Overview of topics covered in the podcast3:06 Dr. Joshi's journey from Pune shop floor to global plastics policy5:58 Understanding polymers vs. plastics13:36 Evolution of the plastic industry and recycling in India18:32 Researching plastic waste management and his PhD journey23:36 Insights from policy rules and navigating plastic bans in Maharashtra33:10 Categorizing plastics and segregation at the source37:04 The role of bulk waste generators and Indian Armed Forces' waste management41:04 The philosophy of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and respecting waste43:37 Success of zero-waste exhibitions in India45:48 Three biggest misconceptions about plastic waste50:03 Understanding the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal and accountability55:05 Critical failure points in the plastic waste management lifecycle59:52 Closing remarks and looking forward to Part 2What you'll learn:- Why plastic recycling in India starts, or fails, at your kitchen bin- How Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is creating new business accountability- The difference between a national recycling policy and a national resource policy- Why the plastic recycling industry in India predates the plastic industry itself- What the new Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 mean for every household and businessConnect with Dr. Sameer Joshi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esameerjoshi/Connect with Carbon Mandal: connect@carbonmandal.com | www.carbonmandal.com#PlasticWaste #CircularEconomy #IndiaRecycles #EPR #Sustainability #WasteManagement #CarbonCircle

Every year, Indian households throw away enough food to feed nearly 377 million people. While we focus on production, over 60 billion kg of food ends up in landfills annually, rotting into methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2. This isn't just a waste problem; it’s a "broken food-soil loop" where vital nutrients are buried instead of being returned to the earth.In this episode of The Carbon Circle Podcast, Roshan sits down with Ankita Vijayvergiya, Co-Founder of BillionCarbon. Ankita shares her journey from the corporate world to leading a climate hardware startup that is quite literally speeding up nature.At the center of BillionCarbon's work is a breakthrough in biotechnology: a precision bioreactor that treats food waste at the source in just 72 hours, ten times faster than traditional converters. By achieving up to 95% biomass reduction, they are helping hotels, campuses, and large kitchens turn a massive environmental liability into a regenerative asset.This conversation dives deep into the "Building Without a Factory" philosophy, the shifting landscape of Indian waste management policy, and the future of bio-fertilisers in restoring our dying soils.If you want to understand how deep-tech hardware can solve the oldest problem on Earth, waste, this episode is for you.📘 What You’ll Learn 🥬The Broken Food-Soil Loop: Why burying food waste is a double-hit to the planet, causing both high emissions and soil degradation.🥬The 3-Day Transformation: How BillionCarbon’s bioreactors achieve 95% biomass reduction in 72 hours, compared to the 20-30 days required by standard Organic Waste Converters (OWCs).🥬Decentralised Waste Treatment: Why treating waste at the source is the only way to avoid the logistical and environmental nightmare of city landfills.🥬Policy as a Catalyst: How the Solid Waste Management 2026 rules are mandating on-site treatment for bulk waste generators.🥬Climate Economics: The math behind mitigating 0.5 tonnes of Co2 for every tonne of food waste treated.🥬Building Without a Factory: Ankita’s insights on scaling a hardware-led startup through strategic partnerships rather than heavy internal manufacturing.🥬The Future of Bio-Inputs: A look at BillionCarbon’s R&D into liquid bio-fertilisers and solid frass compost to replace chemical alternatives by 2027.🌐 Useful Links BillionCarbon https://www.billioncarbon.com/Carbon Mandal – Official Website www.carbonmandal.comConnect with Ankita Vijayvergiya - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankitavijayvergiya/🤝For partnerships, collaborations, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) projects, sustainability consulting, or to feature on The Carbon Circle Podcast, reach out to:📩 connect@carbonmandal.com🔖Episode Keywords: food waste management India, BillionCarbon, methane emissions, regenerative agriculture, soil health, decentralized waste treatment, climate tech hardware, organic waste converter, Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, carbon credits India, bio-fertilizer, circular economy.#foodwaste #circulareconomy #climatetech #sustainability #vikasitbharat #soilhealth #wastetowealth #carbonmandal #thecarboncircle #decarbonisation #greentech

We often assume that awareness leads to action. But what if the real problem isn’t ignorance, but human behaviour itself?In this thought-provoking episode of The Carbon Circle Podcast, host Roshan Rai, Founder of Carbon Mandal, sits down with Dr. Chengwei Liu, and Professor of Behavioral Science at Imperial College London, to unpack one of the most critical yet overlooked challenges in climate action: why intelligent, informed people still fail to act.Drawing from his groundbreaking research on luck, decision-making, and organisational behaviour, Dr. Liu explores the hidden psychological forces, like the illusion of control, just-world bias, and structural inertia, that quietly shape our inaction on sustainability.This conversation goes beyond climate awareness to examine the deeper systems of human behaviour, organisational failure, and societal norms that prevent meaningful change, even when the stakes are clear.From India’s sustainability paradox, where high awareness coexists with low behavioural change, to the role of nudges, policy design, and cultural context, this episode offers a powerful behavioural lens on what it truly takes to build a sustainable future.If you’ve ever wondered why “knowing better” doesn’t translate into “doing better,” this episode will change how you think about climate action.📘 What You’ll Learn🧠 Why awareness alone fails, and the psychological biases that block climate action🎲 The “illusion of control” and how it distorts our perception of responsibility⚖️ The just-world hypothesis and its surprising impact on environmental behaviour📉 India’s sustainability paradox: high concern, low action, what’s driving the gap?🏢 How organisations fail to act, even when sustainability makes economic sense🔍 The CSRL framework: Cognizing, Searching, Reconfiguring, Legitimizing, explained simply🪄 What “nudges” really are, and why most people misunderstand them⚙️ Why changing systems matters more than changing mindsets🌏 How behavioural design can shape a sustainable, inclusive India by 2047📊 The role of policy, culture, and social norms in driving large-scale behaviour change🌐 Useful LinksCarbon Mandal – Official Websitewww.carbonmandal.comConnect with Dr. Chengwei Liu (Guest) / chengwei-liu-luck-contrarian 🤝 Collaborations, Consulting & PartnershipsFor partnerships, collaborations, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) projects, sustainability consulting, or to feature on The Carbon Circle Podcast, reach out to:📩 connect@carbonmandal.com🔖 Keywords:behavioural science climate change, why people don’t act on climate, sustainability psychology, climate inaction explained, nudges behavioural economics, India climate awareness gap, organisational behaviour sustainability, CSRL framework, climate decision making, Viksit Bharat 2047 sustainability#climateaction #behaviouralscience #sustainability #climatepsychology #netzeroindia #viksitbharat2047 #thecarboncircle #carbonmandal #civicsense #climateleadership