India’s circular economy needs more women in technical roles

For decades, women have been central to India's recycling economy. They have collected, sorted and recovered recyclable materials from homes, streets and dumpsites, helping keep valuable resources in circulation long before the circular economy became part of everyday business conversations. 

Their contribution has been fundamental to India's recycling ecosystem, yet much of this work still happens in the informal sector, where incomes are uncertain, working conditions are difficult, and opportunities for career growth remain limited.

India now has an opportunity to change that. The country's recycling industry is expanding rapidly. More recycling facilities are coming online, quality standards are tightening, and technology is transforming how plastic waste is processed. According to the Central Pollution Control Board's Extended Producer Responsibility portal, India had over 2,800 registered plastic waste processors by 2025, and the system processed more than 100 lakh tonnes of plastic waste by the end of 2024.

As the industry evolves, so does the nature of work inside a recycling plant. Today's facilities need people who can operate machines, monitor production, inspect quality, handle forklifts and maintain equipment. These jobs require training, discipline and an understanding of industrial processes. They also offer something many women in the informal waste sector have rarely had access to: stable employment, regular incomes and clear career pathways. This is where the next chapter of India's recycling story should begin.

The industry now has both the reason and the means to open these roles to the women who have sustained it.

The conversation needs to move from participation to progression. India has made encouraging progress in bringing more women into the workforce. Rural female labour-force participation increased from 24.6 per cent in 2017-18 to 47.6 per cent in 2023-24. Yet employment quality remains a concern. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey shows that only 9.3 per cent of rural women workers are in regular wage or salaried employment. Many continue to work in informal occupations with limited financial security and few opportunities to build long-term careers.

The recycling industry is uniquely positioned to address this gap. Many recycling facilities are located near smaller towns and industrial clusters where employment opportunities for rural women remain limited. With structured training, women who may never have worked inside a factory can learn machine operations, quality control, forklift handling, electrical systems and mechanical processes. 

Most women are not held back by a lack of ability. They are held back because few are given the chance to learn these skills.  With the right environment, practical exposure, and mentorship, they can perform technical responsibilities across the recycling value chain. Recycling companies will need to invest in developing that talent, particularly in communities around their facilities, and make structured training programmes, apprenticeships, and continuous skill development integral to workforce planning.

Creating opportunities, however, is only the first step. Women entering technical roles also need to build lasting careers. Safe transport, suitable workplace infrastructure, supportive supervisors and fair opportunities for advancement all influence whether women remain in industrial employment. Career progression must be planned, allowing women to grow from operators to trainers, supervisors, and plant managers as they gain experience.

The benefits extend far beyond the workplace. A skilled technical job provides financial stability for families, increases economic independence and encourages more women within the same community to consider industrial careers. It also changes how people perceive manufacturing itself. When young women see machine operators, forklift drivers, or production supervisors from backgrounds similar to their own, those roles begin to feel achievable rather than exceptional.

India's circular economy is often discussed in terms of recycling targets, collection systems and processing capacity. These are important measures of progress. Equally important is the workforce that will sustain this growth over the coming decades.

Women have already played an indispensable role in building it. The next phase depends on expanding what is available to them: as the industry becomes more advanced, it has to create pathways that carry women from informal work into skilled technical careers, where they can continue contributing to recycling while building real financial security for themselves and their families. 

The future of India's recycling industry will depend on technology, investment and policy. It will also depend on people. Ensuring more women have the opportunity to become operators, technicians, quality professionals, and future plant leaders will make the sector stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for the demands of a truly circular economy.

(Ritesh Nagrale is Head Of Manufacturing and Operations, Projects - Srichakra Polyplast)