New Delhi: One of today’s most serious environmental issues, plastic pollution, worsened with a large increase in the usage of single-use plastics amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Approximately 9.4 million tonnes of plastic garbage are produced in India each year (26,000 tonnes per day). Of this amount, about 5.6 million tonnes are recycled, while the other 3.8 million tonnes end up as litter.
However, some people are attempting to find original solutions to this worrying situation.
Pune-based Nandan Bhatt founded EcoKaari in September of 2020. EcoKaari’s goal is to resolve the issue around trash management, particularly that of non-biodegradable waste, by upcycling and recycling it.
By upcycling, the abandoned plastic waste like gift wrap, plastic bags, wrappers, etc. into beautifully handcrafted goods this social enterprise start-up works towards a sustainable world.
In an interview, Nandan Bhatt says, “A startup like ours is trying to conserve the environment and enable craft-based opportunities to individuals from humble backgrounds. We saw the ever-growing yet often ignored the problem of waste plastic and tried to solve it using a means which will not harm the environment further. EcoKaari was born from an ardent desire to create a community where bottom-up development is the key to achieving better living for all beings in a sustainable way.”
Bhatt’s aim is not just to recycle but to upcycle the waste into products of higher quality using their creativity.
EcoKaari’s Philosophy
As a social enterprise, EcoKaari was established on the tenet that bottom-up development, or growth that starts at the community level and involves empathy for other biotic and abiotic communities, is the only way for development to be sustainable.
EcoKaari has three elements to its philosophy: Planet, People, and Communities.
The waste is procured from large-scale waste collecting organizations and from conscious consumers who donate their plastic wastes to them. In addition, any plastic waste that cannot be used along with their leftover waste during the production process is given to other organizations that convert plastic to fuel.
Biodegradable cleaners are used to clean their plastic and the water is strictly controlled to prevent any wastage.
People at EcoKaari also repair their products free of cost. It also takes back the products from consumers once it’s at the end of their lifecycle to repurpose them or responsibly dispose of them. They call it “closing the loop.”
EcoKaari is committed to empowering individuals and communities with an emphasis on enhancing their mental health and increasing their access to employment opportunities so they can become independent.
Bhatt says, “Our Mission is to encourage individuals from underprivileged backgrounds to learn and acquire new skills; allowing them to earn from their initiative. It’s time we connect again with our roots and create a larger canvas for all the beautiful and supreme creativity that our artisans of India have displayed for generations.”
The startup team at EcoKaari also frequently arranges workshops and seminars on garbage disposal to facilitate conversations with targeted groups at the individual, community, and corporate levels.
