Sustainability can’t be treated just as a vertical but as a foundation: Dr Hemanidhi Gupta of Riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University

Every week, we hear new reports of microplastics being discovered in unexpected places—from Antarctic ice cores to human blood. The plastic crisis is no longer a distant threat; it’s deeply personal. But while much of the world focuses on cleaning up the mess, some of us are asking a different question: how can we stop it at the source?

Incubation Centres as Sustainability Architects

Incubators are not just enablers of economic activity; they are curators of entrepreneurial values. By reframing success metrics beyond market traction and valuation toward carbon reduction, circular design, and community impact incubation centres can influence which problems get solved, and how.
At the incubation centers sustainability can not be treated just as a “vertical but as a foundation. Startups are guided to consider the full lifecycle of materials, especially plastics, from ideation onward. Entrepreneurs are trained to ask: Where will this packaging end up?

What happens after the product is discarded?

From Waste to Worth: Curriculum for Conscious Building Practical training modules now include climate tech fundamentals, systems thinking, ethical supply chain design, and waste valorization. Mentors include experts in bio-based materials, waste management, and ESG strategy. Sustainability becomes not a burden, but an innovation lens.

This shift is crucial in plastics innovation, where regenerative packaging, biodegradable polymers, and reuse logistics need cross disciplinary thinking and early prototyping support.

By aligning sustainability with opportunity, incubators can turn constraints into creative fuel.

Funding what matters

Green ideas often falter due to funding gaps. Incubators can change this by prioritizing access to ESG conscious investors, impact grants, and CSR linked capital. Certification and recognition schemes that reward climate smart startups also help shift market perception making sustainability synonymous with success.

Tech for Change, not just scale

From AI driven supply chain optimisation to IoT enabled waste tracking, technology can support responsible growth. But technology must be inclusive. Startups working with underserved communities like tribal recyclers or informal waste workers, must be equipped with both digital tools and contextual insight.

A Strategic and moral imperative

Startups that integrate sustainability early tend to be more resilient and investor-attractive.
Incubators must realise they are not just nurturing businesses, but future custodians of our planet. Particularly in the context of plastic sustainability, the role of early intervention is critical.

This is not a call for perfection. It’s a call for intention. To move from reactive cleanup to proactive design. To build ventures that leave behind not just value, but values.