In the evolving world of sustainability and circular economy, customer experience (CX) is not just about satisfaction. It’s about trust, transparency, and transformation. At the forefront of this change is Mr. Makarand Kulkarni, CEO of revalyu Recycling (India) Limited. He is a pioneer in chemically recycled PET plastic solutions. From launching India’s first premium-priced, sustainable recycled yarn to building global partnerships grounded in CX excellence, Mr. Kulkarni has reshaped how industries view waste, value, and consumer expectations. In this exclusive CXQuest conversation, we explore how customer-centricity powers revalyu’s innovation, loyalty, and leadership in green transformation.
Vision & Leadership
Q1. You’ve been a pioneer in chemically recycled plastic. What inspired your commitment to this sustainability journey?
MK: Various technologies and processes have been used to recycle plastic over the past thirty to forty years to meet customer demands. However, over time, customers have required higher quality, more consistency and a better price point so that they can essentially replace virgin plastic made from oil, with recycled plastic. Chemical recycled plastic offers these requirements and enable plastics (particularly PET plastic) to be recycled again without loss of quality and at an affordable price.
Q2. Since taking the helm at revalyu, how have you defined customer experience in the context of recycling and sustainability?
MK: In the early days, recycled plastic or material made from recycled plastic had a bad reputation. The perception from both industrial customers and the general consumer was that the recycled material meant inferior quality. It took time to educate customers that recycled material can be the same quality as virgin material and is essentially indistinguishable. Today it is widely understood that recycled material is equally as good as virgin material and in many ways it is better.
Q3. How did you identify the market readiness for premium-priced, sustainable recycled products back in 2009?
MK: We have been offering products to customers from as early as 2007. There was already a demand for recycled material, but the quality and price points were not met by traditional technologies. As customers understood there was the availability to replace virgin material with equally high-quality recycled material the demand grew.
Customer-Centric Strategy
Q4. How does customer feedback shape product development at revalyu?
MK: We are fortunate to have been supplying many of our customers for over 12 years. They have become our long-term partner both in terms of buying and in working together to build new product offerings for them. We have a large R&D and a large product development team who are consistently innovating to meet the growing demand of our customers and their consumers. It is one of the most exciting parts of the job.
Key CX Practices at revalyu Recycling
Q5. What are some key CX practices you’ve embedded within your B2B relationships across global and Indian markets?
MK: We have an eight-plan structure we operate within our company which can be summarized as
1. Deep, Ongoing Customer Understanding
• Global: Customer journey mapping with multi-stakeholder interviews to capture pain points across geographies, verticals, and roles
• India: Stronger emphasis on informal relationship-building and understanding “off-contract” expectations—what the client won’t put in an RFP but will deeply value
2. Localized Engagement & Communication
• Global: Standardized CX playbooks and terminology for consistency across countries
• India: Local language touchpoints, adapting communication cadence (often more frequent), and respecting hierarchical approval processes
3. Multi-level Relationship Mapping
• Global: Mapping both decision-makers and influencers, often focusing on functional alignment (e.g., procurement, IT, marketing)
• India: Paying extra attention to senior relationship-building and trust with top executives decisions can be highly top-down
4. Proactive, Transparent Service Management
• Global: Structured SLAs, ticketing dashboards, automated progress updates
• India: While SLAs are valued, proactive phone calls or in-person visits often build more trust than dashboards alone
5. Cultural Sensitivity in Problem Resolution
• Global: Quick acknowledgment, formalized escalation paths, data-backed remediation
• India: Equal importance on acknowledging feelings alongside facts—showing urgency and personal commitment can outweigh a purely procedural fix
6. Co-creation & Customization
• Global: Involving customers in product roadmap discussions, beta testing, and feedback loops
• India: Flexibility to adapt processes, pricing models, or delivery schedules to match local market cycles and fiscal year patterns
7. Continuous Value Demonstration
• Global: Regular business reviews with ROI metrics and strategic alignment updates
• India: Similar reviews, but often combined with informal relationship check-ins over lunch or at industry events
8. Digital + Human Balance
• Global: Heavy use of self-service portals and omnichannel digital tools, with human escalation as needed
• India: Higher reliance on direct human contact, but digital channels are rising fast—especially WhatsApp for quick coordination.
Balancing Cost, Quality, and Sustainability at revalyu Recycling
Q6. How do you balance cost, quality, and sustainability to deliver value to customers?
MK: Our first goal was to get the technology to work and produce the highest quality material efficiently to be able to replace traditional PET plastic with recycled plastic. This was successfully achieved in 2012. Between 2012 and 2018 we scaled up our manufacturing capacity and drove cost out of the process through process optimization and efficiencies. Today we focus on supply chain innovations and product developments. The cycle of development, quality improvement, costs optimization and efficiency is a daily routine and focus.
Innovation & Technology
Q7. How has the adoption of glycolysis-based chemical recycling impacted customer trust and brand perception?
MK: The adoption of glycolysis-based chemical recycling has significantly enhanced both customer trust and brand perception for revalyu. The technology and process had been used for several years and carefully optimized to offer a level of consistency, purity, and performance that matches with the virgin-grade PET. This has been a key enabler in shifting long-standing market perceptions about recycled materials being inferior or unpredictable in quality.
Our glycolysis process, which depolymerizes PET into its core monomers using monoethylene glycol (MEG), ensures that the final product retains the physical and chemical properties necessary for demanding applications in textiles, packaging, and more. This technological reliability has translated into strong customer confidence and repeat orders from leading global brands who are committed to sustainability without compromising on performance.
Furthermore, this innovation supports full circularity, a critical priority for our customers. By delivering a sustainable product backed by lifecycle data, third-party assessments, and measurable environmental savings (91% less energy and 75% less water usage compared to conventional methods), we have been able to position revalyu as a credible, science-led partner in their ESG journey.
Importantly, our transparent approach to operations and our ability to scale including the commissioning of the world’s largest glycolysis-based chemical PET recycling plant have reinforced revalyu’s leadership in the sector. We’re not just offering a recycled alternative; we’re redefining what sustainable manufacturing can look like.
In a market that increasingly demands accountability and impact, our technology and track record continue to build long-term trust and elevate our brand as an innovator in the global circular economy.
Role of Transparency at revalyu Recycling
Q8. What role does transparency play in winning and retaining customers in the sustainability space?
MK: Transparency is fundamental in sustainability space. It is the foundation on which trust is built, and long-term partnerships are sustained.
We have always recognized that sustainability cannot be a marketing slogan. It must be measurable, verifiable, and backed by credible data. This is why we openly share detailed lifecycle analyses, third-party assessments, and performance metrics that validate the environmental benefits of our chemical recycling process. In a market where greenwashing is still a concern, our customers, particularly global brands with ambitious ESG targets, demand a high level of accountability. They want to know not just that a product is recycled, but how it is recycled, under what conditions, and with what environmental impact. Our ability to provide transparency, from source material to finished products, has been instrumental in building enduring relationships with clients.
Customer Journey at revalyu Recycling
Q9. Can you share an example where technological innovation significantly improved your customer journey?
MK: Traditional mechanical recycling often presented challenges such as inconsistent product quality and limitations in application. Our breakthrough came with the ability to depolymerize post-consumer PET bottles into monomers using glycolysis, allowing us to manufacture recycled PET products with consistent, virgin-equivalent quality. This advancement gave our customers, particularly in the textile and packaging sectors, confidence that they could meet their sustainability goals without compromising on material performance.
Furthermore, by retrofitting an existing polyester plant in Nashik with our proprietary technology, we demonstrated not only scalability but also cost efficiency. This enabled us to offer high-quality recycled PET chips and yarns at price parity with virgin materials, removing a key barrier to adoption for many of our partners.
On the service side, the precision and consistency of our process has greatly simplified quality assurance and product integration for customers. Brands now experience fewer quality issues, reduced procurement risk, and a streamlined path toward achieving recycled content mandates and carbon reduction targets.
By delivering technical reliability alongside environmental integrity, our innovation has elevated the overall customer experience from first engagement to product delivery while reinforcing revalyu as a trusted partner in circular manufacturing.
Challenges & Future Outlook
Q10. What have been the biggest challenges in educating customers about chemically recycled PET products?
MK: One of our biggest challenges has been shifting the perception that recycled materials are inherently inferior to virgin-grade ones. While mechanical recycling has been around for decades, chemical recycling is relatively new, and many customers are unfamiliar with its advantages especially in terms of product quality, consistency, and sustainability.
We had to demonstrate that our chemically recycled PET offers performance comparable to, and often exceeding, virgin PET. That means engaging in rigorous testing, obtaining third-party certifications, and transparently communicating our environmental impact.
Another challenge lies in addressing concerns about scalability and cost. While our technology is already proven to be at an industrial level, there’s still a learning curve among customers regarding the economics of chemical recycling. We are investing time and effort into building strong partnerships, providing clarity on our process, and showcasing our lifecycle data and sustainability metrics all to help customers understand that choosing revalyu’s products is not just a green choice, but also a smart business one.
Ultimately, educating the market is a continuous journey. As pioneers in this space, we see it as our responsibility to lead with integrity, science, and transparency.
revalyu Recycling and Increasing Competition
Q11. With increasing competition in sustainable materials, how do you continue to differentiate on CX?
MK: While many players are now entering the sustainable materials space, we continue to lead through the use of chemical recycling technology (Glycolysis), which enables us to produce rPET of exceptionally high purity, consistency, and performance. This isn’t just about recycling PET bottles, it’s about transforming them into high-quality raw materials that meet the stringent demands of global brands in textiles and packaging.
As competition grows, our focus remains on deepening technological capabilities, expanding responsibly, and delivering on the promise of sustainability without compromise. Because for us, differentiation isn’t just about being better — it’s about setting the benchmark for what’s possible in circular PET recycling.
Future CX Trends
Q12. What future CX trends do you foresee in the recycling and circular economy sector?
MK: The recycling and circular economy sector is poised for transformative growth driven by technological innovation, regulatory momentum, and rising consumer and corporate commitment to sustainability.
One of the most significant trends will be the widespread adoption of advanced recycling technologies, especially chemical recycling. These technologies enable higher-quality outputs with greater material recovery efficiency, allowing recycled materials to compete with and in many cases outperform virgin alternatives. At revalyu, for instance, our chemical recycling process delivers consistent, high purity rPET that meets the stringent quality requirements of global brands.
Governments across the globe are introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, mandating recycled content usage, and setting ambitious climate and waste-reduction targets. These policies will not only drive greater investment in recycling infrastructure but also promote the development of circular supply chains.
Transparency and traceability will become key differentiators in the sector. Stakeholders will expect measurable and verifiable impact data, pushing companies to adopt digital tools and lifecycle assessment platforms to validate sustainability claims.
Building a truly circular economy requires coordinated efforts across industries, sectors, and geographies. We see increasing partnerships between recyclers, manufacturers, brands, and policymakers — all working toward a shared sustainability vision.
Quick Bytes: CX Rapid Fire
Q13. One word your customers often associate with revalyu?
MK: Trusted
Q14. A CX metric you track closely?
MK: The length of partnerships and being a continuous happy customer who buys again
Q15. One customer story that stayed with you?
MK: Supplying recycled PET from India to China. To a large customer based in China. A big win for revalyu and India.
Q16. Your favorite sustainability-focused brand (besides revalyu)?
MK: Decathlon, they have pushed the boundaries, been serious about sustainability and stayed away from Greenwashing.
Q17. Advice to upcoming sustainability leaders on building trust with customers?
MK: Continue innovating and stay away from greenwashing. Deliver high quality at affordable price.
As Mr. Kulkarni highlights, sustainable innovation isn’t meaningful unless it creates real impact for customers and the planet. With revalyu Recycling leading the charge in chemical PET recycling, the future of CX in circular industries looks promising. It is anchored by clarity, consistency, and conscious choices. At CXQuest, we believe that conversations like these offer a blueprint for businesses. Aiming to deliver value where it matters most: at the intersection of purpose and experience.
