Turning the Tide on Plastic Waste

A Conversation with Aditya Siroya, Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer of rePurpose Global

Sustainability is more than just an aspiration to us at PAX—it’s a commitment to action that we’ve made to ourselves and our customers. That’s why we were proud to become the first cannabis brand certified Plastic Negative across all product lines by rePurpose Global. This means that for any plastic we use, across any of our products or packaging, we’re removing twice as much from nature through rePurpose Global’s on-the-ground impact projects. The global plastic crisis is reaching epic proportions, requiring urgent and decisive actions.

We sat down with rePurpose Global’s Co-founder & Chief Impact Officer Aditya Siroya to discuss their ambitious mission, the challenges to tackling plastic pollution, the solutions shaping a more sustainable future, and how brands and individuals can help drive change.

Origin stories say a lot about an organization and its mission. Can you tell us a bit about how rePurpose Global got its start and what you set out to achieve?

I vividly remember the day our journey began. Stepping out of the car onto the grounds of Asia’s second-largest landfill, Deonar East in Mumbai, we were confronted with a stark contrast: on one side, towering mountains of plastic waste, and on the other, a vibrant urban skyline bustling with life. It was an undeniable call to action. 

Alongside my co-founders, Svanika and Peter, we embarked on a five-year-long journey to build a global community of purpose-driven individuals, brands, and organizations committed to combating plastic waste. Today, rePurpose Global stands as a beacon of innovation, creating 360º solutions to tackle plastic pollution head-on.

What are some of the biggest challenges in tackling plastic pollution globally? Are we making any real progress?

Plastic pollution is a complex challenge. We produce more plastic than ever, yet less than 9% of this waste is recycled—not due to a lack of solutions, but because of insufficient infrastructure and investment in end-of-life innovation. In many regions, the absence of formal waste collection has given rise to a global informal trash economy. While this economy supports tens of millions of livelihoods, it often traps communities in cycles of intergenerational poverty.

Despite these challenges, our collective efforts are bearing fruit. Thanks to the unwavering support of our partners like PAX, we have recovered over 77 million pounds of plastic waste and improved the livelihoods of more than 2,300 frontline waste workers across 13 critical projects. The solutions are there; what we need now is to close the funding gap and scale these innovations to match our ever-growing consumption patterns.

PAX is proud to be the first cannabis company certified Plastic Negative across all product lines by rePurpose Global. Can you explain what it means for a company to be Plastic Negative?

Being Plastic Negative means going beyond simply offsetting your plastic footprint—it means actively investing in the recovery of plastic waste at a rate that exceeds your own production by 200% or more. For brands like PAX, this commitment towards systemic change is not just about balancing out numbers; it’s about funding verified plastic waste recovery initiatives that ensure a healthier planet and provide socio-economic safeguards for the vulnerable communities at the frontline of plastic recovery.

Can you share more about your plastic recovery program on Colombia’s Pacific Coast and what the impact has been?

This initiative is a multifaceted project that addresses both environmental and social challenges. We operate directly from the beaches and remote communities—utilizing boats to collect plastic waste and transporting it to specialized facilities where even contaminated plastics are recycled. Local partnerships are at the heart of this project, not only to clean up our shores but also to raise environmental awareness and empower the community.

We chose this region because its remote location has left communities without formal waste collection, leading to rampant plastic burning and leakage that threatens marine ecosystems, including vital whale nurseries. The impact so far has been the ethical recovery of 134,000 pounds of plastic waste and the formal employment to 15 local waste workers. The true impact is the protection of precious marine habitats and upliftment of communities that have long been overlooked.

Plastic is everywhere, from our products, to our clothes, to the microplastics we don’t even see. Are there trends you're seeing to shift this that you're excited about?

Absolutely. We’re at an inflection point where breakthrough recycling technologies, circular design innovations, and digital tracking platforms are converging to transform how we manage plastic. Advances in recycling now allow us to convert even contaminated plastic into valuable resources, while design thinking is leading to products that are inherently more sustainable and recyclable. Moreover, digital innovations like our reTrace technology are ensuring full transparency and accountability in plastic recovery. These trends are inspiring because they signal a future where our relationship with plastic is reimagined, driven by innovation and a shared commitment to sustainability.

There's a lot of conversation about greenwashing and companies that are profiting off of overstated environmental commitments. How do you think about this and work to ensure rePurpose is making the impact it says it is?

At rePurpose Global, integrity is at the core of everything we do. We confront greenwashing head-on by embedding transparency, traceability, and additionality into all our projects. Every pound of plastic we recover is meticulously tracked through our proprietary technology, and our initiatives undergo multiple rigorous audits by both internal and independent external teams to ensure environmental compliance and social safeguards.

We also invite our brand partners to join us on our Plastic Reality Project that we regularly conduct—an immersive, on-the-ground experience that showcases the challenges we face and the real impact of our work together. This approach not only holds us accountable but also builds trust and inspires collective action towards a cleaner, healthier planet.

Lastly, how can individuals and other businesses support plastic reduction efforts in their own ways?

Plastic reduction is a shared responsibility, and every effort counts. While there is no single solution, businesses can focus on designing products for multi-use and enhanced recyclability, and by advocating for systemic changes that enforce robust waste management regulations.

Large-scale change requires a collaborative approach—one that brings together individuals, businesses, and policymakers to invest in innovative infrastructure and enforce sustainable practices. By uniting our efforts and taking collective action, we can transform our current consumption patterns and pave the way for a truly circular economy.

Every step, no matter how small, moves us closer to a future free from plastic pollution.