India has a population of more than 1.4 billion where everyday 26000 tonnes of waste is being generated. Most of this waste is generated from our everyday use products like plastic waste bags, plastic dishwashing cleaning bottles from our homes and everyday kitchens. This is a gap that the founders of Beco India recognised and began catering to.
Image title : Mountains of plastic waste being cleared by a waste management worker
One fine morning, Aditya Ruia, a graduate in Manufacturing Engineering at Bits Pilani, and his family decided to volunteer at a beach clean-up drive near his house in Mumbai. In the midst of the tons of garbage, Aditya spotted a particularly new looking chocolate wrapper that was bright orange in color.
My father told me that it was a wrapper of a bar of chocolate which was discontinued in the 1990s. I was shocked at the fact that it had survived for so long!” says Aditya.
The realisation that every bit of plastic waste that is being generated now will come back to haunt us in the future, made him uneasy. Aditya then discussed the issue with his brother, Anuj who echoed his thoughts on plastic waste.
The brothers looped in their friend Akshay Varma, a graduate in Material Sciences from IIT Madras. Together, the trio launched Beco in March 2019, to provide healthier and greener alternatives to everyday single-use plastics and plastic packaging.
“We do so by making green packaging more accessible, convenient and affordable. We currently cater to the home and kitchen use category which silently contributes to nearly 4 tonnes of plastic waste per family per year,” says Aditya
With the sale of their products, they have been able to avert at least 125 tonnes of plastic waste.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) estimates that approximately 707 million metric tons of plastic products are manufactured in a year. Of all this plastic, about 80 per cent of it is for packaging applications.
Additionally, the CPCB conducted a survey in 60 major cities of India and found that around 4049 tons of plastic waste is generated in each of these cities in a day. This means a minimum of about 25,940 tons of plastic waste is generated in India in a day!
However, the rising eco-awareness in the country, with more and more people opting for a greener lifestyle, is a positive sign.
Image title : Garbage bags made from cornstarch and bamboo toothpicks from Beco India
Case in point, Tishya Relia, 27, a resident of Mumbai working in digital marketing, She was browsing through her friend’s Instagram story when she stumbled upon Beco’s sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic. “My friend had tagged Beco in her story and I checked out the products they were offering,” says Tishya.
Tishya says that after the plastic ban in Mumbai, introduced in June this year, she had been looking for eco-friendly alternatives. She decided to order Beco’s biodegradable garbage bags, kitchen towels, earbuds for her mother and facial tissues.
“The garbage bags were such a good alternative. The kitchen towels can be washed and reused up to 100 times. If you look at the earbuds, they stick is made out of paper but it is not at all flimsy. I have been trying eco-friendly products for a year and brands like Beco make the transition easier,” she says.
Akshay, one of the three founders of Beco, says all of the products they offer are made from bamboo that is sourced from plantations in the north-east. “In a year, each acre of bamboo plantation can produce up to 10 tonnes of the crop. We take this bamboo and convert it into chips at our processing unit and we mix it with water to make a pulp. It is from this that we make our products,” says Akshay.
The research and development for these products was initiated in October 2018 and the company chose bamboo because it grows five times faster. Beco ties up with factories who follow sustainable practices in the manufacturing process. “Emphasis is on making the entire process 100 per cent plastic free, biodegradable and eco-friendly,” says Aditya.
Beco’s earbuds and cotton balls
Some of Beco’s best selling products include the reusable kitchen towels and the biodegradable garbage bags (interestingly made from corn starch) which are flying off the shelves, informs Aditya. “A lot of people are shifting to paper for sustainable options but we must realise that this is also leading to a lot of trees being cut. By using raw materials like cornstarch to make the bags garbage bags we are also trying to bridge this gap,” says Aditya.
Challenges and impact
Aditya says that one of their biggest challenges was regarding consumers awareness. “It is difficult to make them realise that they too can now be a part of a bigger movement and make this world a greener place by opting for affordable eco-friendly solutions,” says Aditya.
Beco tried to mobilise and educate people about the detrimental impact of single use plastics on the environment. They’ve used data to reach out to offline retail shops and supermarkets along with using social media to spread the word. In addition to this, they also organise beach cleanups in Mumbai every month as a team to move people into action and to also spread awareness about their products. Beco is also involved in beach clean-ups in Mumbai to mobilise people and make them aware about plastic waste
Although they have just started, what plans do the founders have for Beco?
“We want to reduce the amount of plastic waste that is being generated in every household, home and kitchen, without putting any further stress on trees or natural resources like water. We claim to be the only company in India which is truly 100 per cent eco-friendly. We want to be recognised as the go-to brand for being eco-friendly,” says Aditya signing off.
Sources :
Comments