In April 2022, Amita Deshpande, a co-founder of reCharkha EcoSocial Private Limited (reCharkha), was reflecting on the future of her social enterprise during a return flight from a sustainable-development conference. For seven years, the Pune, India–based start-up had utilized labour-intensive upcycling to tackle critical issues such as plastic pollution, environmental degradation, and rural unemployment. Despite receiving accolades for her company’s .....more