Acumen invests in ScrapUncle to bring transparency and dignity to India’s recycling economy
ScrapUncle’s tech-enabled platform connects households, workers, and recyclers to formalize one of India’s most fragmented supply chains.
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Acumen has invested in ScrapUncle (Swapeco Solutions Private Limited), an India-based waste management company that enables households and businesses to responsibly dispose of recyclable materials including e-waste through on-demand collection, while building a more transparent and inclusive recycling value chain.
India generates an estimated 3.8 million metric tons of e-waste annually, much of which flows through an informal system characterized by limited traceability, unsafe working conditions, and inconsistent income for workers. Young migrant workers—many from low-income rural households—often rely on informal scrap collection or other hazardous labor, facing income volatility, stigma, and exposure to unsafe environments.
ScrapUncle addresses these challenges by formalizing scrap collection at the household level. Its platform enables customers to schedule on-demand pickups with transparent pricing and weight verification, while ensuring that materials are properly segregated and routed to verified recyclers. For collection partners and warehouse workers, the company provides consistent income, safer working conditions, and opportunities for upskilling—transforming an informal sector into a pathway for dignified employment.
Since its founding, ScrapUncle has served nearly 100,000 households, with many returning to the platform for repeat pickups. As the company reduces intermediaries and improves traceability, recyclers gain more consistent access to higher-quality materials—making the entire value chain more efficient.
“Our ambition has always been to build the next e-commerce opportunity for recyclables, reimagining the model as C2B instead of B2C. With Acumen’s support, we’re working to organize the recycling supply chain at scale and make responsible disposal simple and accessible for households across India.”
Mukul Chhabra, Founder of ScrapUncle
Acumen’s investment will support ScrapUncle’s expansion into new cities, strengthen its technology platform, and enable the development of downstream processing capabilities for e-waste.
“ScrapUncle is organizing a part of the recycling system that has historically been fragmented and overlooked,” said Paraag Sabhlok, Investment Director at Acumen India. “That shift not only improves traceability for recyclers, it creates more stable and dignified livelihoods for workers at the front lines of the value chain.”
In addition to a multi-city expansion, ScrapUncle aims to deepen its presence in the e-waste value chain and create dignified livelihoods for more than 1,000 collectors in the next phase. As the company grows, it is positioned to demonstrate how technology and operational rigor can transform one of India’s most fragmented industries into a more equitable and sustainable system.
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