Interview with Pavankumar Mylapalli

Hi, my name is Pavankumar Mylapalli, but everyone calls me Pavan here for obvious reasons… I’m a master student in Environmental and Recycling Technology from Hochschule Nordhausen University in Germany, a colleague at DESPRAY Environmental in Almelo, the Netherlands, and an enthusiast in the field of circular economy and AI in sustainability.

When did you start at DESPRAY?
Officially in June 2025, after which I completed a three-month internship, and since then, I’ve also been working on my thesis from August to February 2026. I’ve worked throughout Europe on projects that connect technology and sustainability, and I currently have this great workspace here in Almelo.

And how were the first 100 days?
The start was a bit difficult for me, because I had to take care of basic necessities. Fortunately, Jos van de Horst and Eelco Osse helped me with local accommodation and transportation within 14 days, but honestly, it took some getting used to at first. But now I’m completely settled!

What did you want to be when you were young?
I wanted to be a lot of things! At 18 or 19, I knew for sure: okay, I want to be an engineer. After graduating in Mechanical Engineering, I noticed that recycling was really booming, and I decided to pursue a master’s degree in something related to recycling. During that time, I followed DESPRAY the Managing Director, Mike MacKay, on LinkedIn for about three months before contacting him. I proactively reached out to Mike via cold email and a LinkedIn message I introduced my background, stated my specific passion for the recycling world, and inquired about any potential opportunities. It took a while, but in January 2025, Mike contacted me, and we talked about the opportunities at DESPRAY and what I wanted. Initially, we discussed a lot of different things, and after a while, Mike introduced me to Eelco Osse, also CEO of DESPRAY, and they offered me the position at DESPRAY.

What does a typical workday look like for you?
I start every day with a cup of coffee in the morning and then my to-do list. The coffee here is a little different than what I’m used to at home. There, I drink coffee with sugar and milk; we call it coffee chai. Then, of course, I check my email and work on my thesis until 2:00 PM. After lunch, I switch to my DESPRAY activities. Working here is certainly different from working in India, but I’m very happy and grateful for my position here, my colleagues, and the opportunities I’m given. A big difference from home is that in India there’s constant control, stress, and hierarchy in the workplace. Here, it’s much easier to express yourself.

Have you made your first mistake yet?
Oh yes, I have! I don’t have much experience with large companies, but I wanted to prove myself, so I posted something on LinkedIn without consulting my manager. Mike called me the next day and pointed out something I shouldn’t have done. Luckily, he didn’t make a big deal about it, but hey, I learned something from it and deleted the post immediately after the conversation.

Can you tell us something about your thesis? What’s it about?
Yes, I’ve already posted several messages on LinkedIn, and yes, with approval, ha-ha! We currently recycle aerosols 100% into metal blocks, gases, and liquids. My master’s thesis is carried out under the supervision of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Rutz and Mr. Mike MacKay from DESPRAY Environmental. It focuses on how DESPRAY can also recycle aluminum aerosols, since European manufacturers produce about 50% metal and 50% aluminum aerosols. In addition, there’s plastic contamination in the metal blocks that we want to completely remove. How much is there, how can we separate it, and is it economically feasible?

What are your biggest challenges?
To get truly accurate results and data, I need to conduct research and testing. These experiments are quite expensive for various reasons. My biggest challenge is to collect as much good data as possible to support my dissertation with the resources available for research and testing.

What do you do privately after work?
After work, I often call my mom or dad, and then, of course, I have to cook for myself. Good food is something I really miss now that I’m here. The closest thing I get to what I like, like seasonal dishes, is a restaurant in Hengelo called Bombay Spice. Unfortunately, it’s more Pakistani than Indian. During the week I train and at the weekends I often play a cricket match at a great club nearby, get to know more people and get to visit many different places in the Netherlands too.

What makes you laugh, happy, or when do you feel good?
Oh, that’s easy, when I can do everything, I want to do during a workday. In my free time, I love watching stand-up comedy, and my favorite video series are also comedy.

How would you define success?
I would define success in terms of what we can learn and how we can apply it in daily life. Also, a good work life, self-love, and of course, good health. Having all of these things is true success for me. If I had to rate my success on a scale of 1 to 5, it would definitely be a 4. I’m very happy with where I am in life now and know that more opportunities and challenges will come my way.

What does your future look like?
First, I’m finishing my thesis and my master’s degree in recycling technology. I have to defend my thesis, and I hope Mike can be there, but I don’t know if he’ll be in the Netherlands during that time. After that, I’m looking for a good job, probably in aerosol recycling. DESPRAY has fantastic technology, and I think my education, knowledge, and skills would be a good fit for me. If DESPRAY were to offer me a job as a recycling engineer, I would love to pursue it!

Pavan, thanks for your time and this interview.