This Startup Turns Non-Recyclable Waste Into Ash On-Site

Indian cities produce mountains of non-recyclable waste every day, from sanitary products to medical supplies, and most of it never makes it to proper disposal. Instead, it piles up in open burning pits, seeps into water bodies, or gets dumped into soil as toxic liquid because collection trucks can't keep pace with what we throw away.

Neo San is changing that equation entirely. The Bengaluru startup installs compact thermal treatment units right where waste is generated, so garbage never needs to leave the building.

Founded in 2022 by Dhwaj Bagrecha, the company developed equipment that uses rapid, high-temperature electric heating based on induction principles. The machines reach 1,200 degrees Celsius within two minutes while consuming minimal electricity, turning waste into sterile, non-toxic ash.

The product line fits different scales of waste production. The Neo-X is wall-mounted for washrooms and small buildings, handling up to 25 kg daily. The Neo-XT processes 150 kg a day for tech parks and small hospitals. The AX model tackles 500 kg or more for industrial manufacturing plants.

Bagrecha came to this solution through his work in urban planning and waste infrastructure. He watched rising consumption outpace every municipal system designed to handle it, and realized the problem wasn't just collection but the entire model of trucking waste away.

The Ripple Effect

Neo San's approach cuts emissions by 98% compared to traditional collection and landfilling, according to Bagrecha. The savings come from both the patented thermal process and eliminating transport trucks entirely.

The startup operates as a managed service, maintaining equipment and sending tracking reports to clients' sustainability teams. Customers can purchase machines outright or pay monthly fees.

Neo San has raised Rs 26 crore in total funding and holds two granted patents with 13 more pending. Clients include Taj hotels, Embassy properties, the Government of Karnataka, factories, and data centers.

The company is developing hub facilities to collect the ash residue and convert it into building briquettes, closing the loop completely. Over the next year, Neo San plans to expand into four additional states and launch a specialized biomedical waste processor.

What started as one person noticing an impossible problem is now processing waste for some of India's biggest organizations, one building at a time.