"Waste Recycling Firm Goodeebag to Expand Operations to Three More States"

Goodeebag, a Hyderabad-based startup specializing in waste collection and recycling, plans to expand its operations to three additional states this year, according to its founder and CEO, Abhishek Agarwal.

“We are planning to expand this year. It might be to three more states. We have identified 5-6 cities such as Guwahati, Chandigarh, and Jaipur,” Agarwal told Businessline during an online interaction.

Launched in 2022, Goodeebag collects various types of waste, including single-use plastics, and offers grocery products in return. The company aims to reach at least 200,000 families in 2024 and collect 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste. To date, the startup has collected 500 tonnes of waste.

Goodeebag has partnered with several supermarket stores in Hyderabad to facilitate waste collection. The startup accepts all types of waste, including wet and dry waste, plastics, milk sachets, shampoo bottles, electronic waste, and cardboard boxes.

Initially started through a WhatsApp group, Goodeebag has now introduced an app for waste collection in Hyderabad. “Anyone who wants to give the waste in their house will have to enter the details in the app. Our staff will schedule the pickup and then go there to collect it. On the spot, they reward the customer with four points,” Agarwal explained.

Customers can redeem these points to purchase groceries through the app’s marketplace. “We offer all types of groceries used in households, such as kitchen and bathroom items. The customer can redeem reward points on the app, and the products are delivered to their doorstep free of cost,” Agarwal added.

Collected waste is taken to Goodeebag’s warehouse, where it is sorted into 40 different categories before being sent to recyclers or directly to manufacturing units. The company's fleet of 7-8 electric three-wheelers handles waste collection. Currently, Goodeebag employs around 25 people.

In a unique initiative, Goodeebag has signed a memorandum of understanding with Meridian School in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills, where students are required to wear at least one uniform made from recycled waste.

To encourage waste reduction and proper recycling, Goodeebag has begun awarding individual households for their efforts.

Bootstrapped to date, Goodeebag has not yet sought venture capital funding. “We are just preparing the base for the company and a foolproof concept. This will take 3-4 months. Only after that can we think about funding,” Agarwal stated.

HBL