Image Source: The Better India
In the narrow lanes of a bustling Indian town, where metal clanged and plastic rustled beneath the weight of forgotten waste, began the humble story of Scrap Deal—an idea that would go on to redefine dignity, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in the scrap trading world.
Behind the story stood a determined small businessman named Jayesh, who had no legacy to inherit, no big capital to rely on—only a sharp mind, calloused hands, and an unshakable dream.
Jayesh grew up watching a small scrap shop nearby. He saw how kabadiwalas worked hard, day and night, collecting, sorting, and selling waste—yet struggled to make ends meet. The system was chaotic, middlemen took unfair cuts, and most scrap dealers remained invisible in society’s eyes.
During his final year of graduation, Jayesh Pakhale began experimenting with small-scale scrap collection using his own pocket money. What started as a side project slowly grew wings. “I’d collect scrap materials from friends and neighbors, weigh them properly, and make sure they went to the right place. It didn’t feel like a business then but more like solving a very obvious problem,” he recalls.
So in 2019, he transformed his project into a business model. With his personal savings and a rented godown, he launched Scrap Deal—a small, organized scrap collection and resale business with a big mission: “To bring respect and value to waste work.”
The beginning was anything but easy. Without taking any investments from anywhere, Jayesh preferred to bring his two brothers Vaibhav Pakhale as Co-founder cum CFO and Ganesh Pakhale as Co-founder cum COO on board. By early 2019, they had launched a basic version of the Scrap Deal app. The goal was simple: connect homes and offices to verified recyclers, using tech as the bridge. Slowly, customers began to trust him. Kabadiwalas joined his network. What once seemed like scraps became stepping stones.
With more visibility, local municipal bodies took notice. Jayesh got a small contract to manage bulk waste from a housing society. He used this momentum to reinvest in logistics—buying his first pickup van, training a team, and formalizing partnerships with recycling plants. Working style of Scrap Deal is as simple as Zomato, Swiggy or other food delivery apps.
Now Scrap Deal had empowered more than 200 informal waste workers with uniforms, safety gear, and steady income, connected over 5,000 households with doorstep waste collection. Scrap Deal recycled over 10 lakh kg of waste, empowered 200+ workers, and built a ₹2 crore business—proving that tech, trust, and zero-waste values can truly change lives. The company is also involved in workshops for schools on waste segregation and sustainability.
The man behind this remarkable journey, Jayesh, always says: “It’s not just about scrap—it’s about seeing value where others see waste. Every rusted pipe, every plastic bottle tells a story. And so do we.”
He never forgot his roots. Today, even as Scrap Deal expands into new cities and partners with corporates under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, Jayesh continues to personally meet his team, mentor young recyclers, and invest in community education.
It is true that Scrap Deal is more than a business. It is a reminder that success doesn't come from shining offices or heavy investments—it comes from grit, vision, and a deep belief that every small effort matters.
For every small businessman doubting their journey, Jayesh’s story offers this truth:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Respect what others discard—and you’ll build something the world will never forget.”