There's been a huge opportunity lurking inside electronic waste — a multi-billion dollar opportunity, in fact — and now, two brothers are finally taking advantage of it, The Better India reported.
Attero is a startup that's changing the face of e-waste disposal and recycling. Founded by two brothers who realized that there was no efficient way to recycle their old laptop, the company has grown rapidly and now boasts what TBI has deemed "India's most advanced recycling plant."
E-waste comprises everything from old phones to computers, electric cars, solar panels, radios, air conditioners, and more. India is the world's third-largest producer of e-waste, generating over 3.2 million tons each year.
Yet despite these staggering numbers, over 95% of that waste is handled informally — meaning it could just as likely be burned or illegally dumped rather than properly recycled.
This has led to toxic fumes and chemicals leaching into the environment and contaminating soil and water. In turn, many residents suffer from health issues due to direct and cumulative exposure.
Fortunately, Attero is quickly making a dent in the problem. It has already recycled billions of tons of e-waste and lithium-ion batteries using its proprietary technology, which has been awarded multiple third-party environmental and sustainability certifications.
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While the average recycling plant can only recover 50-80% of useful materials from e-waste, Attero's plant can recover over 98%.
Not only does Attero's work help mitigate pollution from toxic environmental hazards, but it also contributes to a self-sustaining, circular economy by giving recovered metals and materials a second life. The company regularly extracts gold, silver, lithium, and cobalt from its sourced e-waste.
CEO Nitin Gupta told TBI, "These innovations are helping the world move towards a circular economy — where waste is reused instead of thrown away."
Additionally, Attero is supporting ethical labor practices by partnering with local platforms like Metal Mandi, which allows scrap dealers to be fairly compensated for their work — a major advantage for sellers in a largely unregulated market.
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Oil 🛢️ "Any material which is transacted and sold through the Metal Mandi app is traceable. We know who bought it, who sold it, where and when it was picked up, and where and when it was delivered," Gupta said.
And on the consumer side, Attero's partnership with the platform Selsmart is an excellent way for people to earn money for sending in their e-waste.
TBI spoke with one user who said, "I sold a non-functional smartphone in December. The whole process, from booking to pickup and payment, took just two to three days. It was efficient, transparent, and honestly, it made me want to learn more about e-waste and Attero's mission."
Attero is currently operating in over six countries across several continents, and it's building new recycling plants to expand its service in global markets.
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