The second edition of 2nd Life Pakistan, a joint initiative by Unilever Pakistan and SEED Ventures, culminated in a powerful showcase of innovation, impact, and environmental stewardship.
Designed to empower startups tackling the country’s mounting waste crisis, the initiative provided a launchpad for breakthrough ideas at both the growth and early innovation stages, reaffirming that waste is not the end of a product’s life, but the beginning of a new purpose.
With over 200 transformative ideas across seven waste categories, the 2nd Life Pakistan 2.0 Grand Finale demonstrated that discarded materials can be reborn into scalable, sustainable solutions with real-world impact.
A Platform to Rethink Waste
Now in its second edition, 2nd Life Pakistan has evolved into one of the country’s leading platforms for circular innovation. The 2025 edition received over 170 applications, with 30 startups ultimately shortlisted. These participants developed powerful, scalable solutions across seven waste categories—from plastics and textiles to e-waste and agri-waste.
“This year, Unilever partnered with UNDP and SEED Ventures to increase the scale of this initiative,” said Sheikh Adil Hussain, General Manager Beauty and Wellbeing at Unilever Pakistan. “With 170 applications, we shortlisted 30 startups and connected them with our mentors.”
Launched to tackle Pakistan’s pressing waste management challenges, 2nd Life Pakistan is a national-level acceleration competition that identifies and supports homegrown startups working on circular economy models. The program expanded its scope and impact, offering cash prizes and strategic collaboration opportunities with Unilever Pakistan.
“This isn’t just about plastic—it’s about giving all types of waste a second life, from agricultural residues to e-waste and textiles,” according to the organizers. “We are proud to support innovators who are turning today’s environmental crisis into tomorrow’s economic opportunity.”
Growth Stage Winners: Impact in Action
The Growth Stage competition, aimed at startups with proven solutions, highlighted ventures actively transforming waste into viable business models. After rigorous evaluation by a high-profile jury, the winners were announced:
- 🥇 Pak BioEnergy clinched the top prize of PKR 1,000,000 for its groundbreaking work in converting agricultural and organic waste into carbon-neutral fuel. “Pak Bioenergy took home the top prize for turning agricultural and organic waste into clean, carbon-neutral fuel—proving that climate solutions can also power local economies.”
- 🥈 Ecobricks.pk was named 1st Runner-Up, winning PKR 750,000 for developing microplastic-free construction materials using Pakistan’s hardest-to-recycle plastic waste. “Ecobricks is giving Pakistan’s toughest plastic waste a second life as durable, microplastic-free construction material.”
- 🥉 TrashItPK secured the 2nd Runner-Up position with PKR 500,000, recognized for its farmer-powered composting model using organic waste. Trashitpk is building a farmer-powered composting model that restores soil and strengthens food systems.
These finalists were joined by Swift, Atfaal, Zarkhad, and others—each showcasing practical solutions for plastic, textile, and food waste.
Idea Stage winners
The Idea Stage finalists brought bold, early-stage innovations to the table—proving that sustainable transformation often starts with a simple shift in perspective.
- 🥇 FiltResha emerged as the first-place winner, taking home PKR 500,000 for developing biodegradable filtration devices made from feathers and banana stems. “FiltResha is cleaning air and water with nothing but feathers and banana stems—a biodegradable filtration innovation born from agri-waste.”
- 🥈 Metalyze won PKR 250,000 as 1st Runner-Up, for its smart system to extract valuable metals from discarded electronic waste.
- 🥉 Mycieblue earned PKR 125,000 as 2nd Runner-Up, for cultivating mycelium-based alternatives to plastic for packaging and products, proving that nature already has all the answers.
Other promising ideas from Ad2Bag, Eco HydroTech, FunFungi, and others revealed how agri-waste, food waste, and everyday discards can be reimagined as tools for environmental regeneration.
“Our goal is simple,” said Fatima Arshad, Sustainability Lead PTAB (Pakistan, Turkey, Arabia, and Bangladesh) at Unilever. “These are startups that can give a second life to waste, but they need customers, mentoring, and finance. That’s what this venture is trying to achieve.”
Meet the jury
Two expert panels featuring industry figures judged the competition:
- Growth Stage Jury: Hussain Ali Talib (Unilever Pakistan), Afia Salam (Indus Earth Trust), Khizar Pervaiz (Sindh Enterprise Development Fund), Moneeza Usman Butt (KPMG Pakistan), and Zehra Aneek (EY).
- Idea Stage Jury: Tofiq Pasha Mooraj (activist), Nazish Shekha (Pakistan Business Council), and Akbar Ali (Artistic Milliners).
These panels brought deep knowledge in sustainability, finance, and entrepreneurship, ensuring fair and impactful selections.
Beyond the Finale: Building a Circular Future
From luxury products crafted from plastic wrappers to earthworm-powered compost systems, the event underlined that waste is not the end of a product—it can be the beginning of a purpose.
Winners and standout participants are expected to receive ongoing support and collaboration opportunities with Unilever Pakistan on initiatives focused on waste collection, recycling, and repurposing.
The event drew praise from Lance Domm, British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, who emphasized the importance of empowering youth and innovation: “Young entrepreneurs coming up with ideas to use waste product—which was previously seen as waste—into new activity, means less plastic, less energy, less production, less carbon.”
Meanwhile, Shaista Ayesha, CEO of SEED Ventures, highlighted the urgent need to address all types of waste—not just plastics. “There’s more to waste than just plastic—textile, electronic, construction, and even food waste are serious challenges in Pakistan. These materials deserve a second life because they represent a massive untapped industry. That’s why this initiative supports both idea-stage and growth-stage startups working across all types of waste,” she said.
A Legacy of Innovation
Following the success of last year’s edition—where Bigger Bricks and Aga Khan University claimed top honors—the initiative continues to build momentum. Winners and finalists from this year’s challenge will have the opportunity to collaborate with Unilever Pakistan on projects related to plastic collection, recycling, and repurposing.
As 2nd Life Pakistan 2.0 draws to a close, one message rings clear: waste is no longer a problem—it is a solution waiting to be unlocked. Whether it’s earthworm-powered compost, luxury products from discarded wrappers, or e-waste turned into an opportunity, the movement toward a circular economy is gaining unstoppable traction.