We are delighted to introduce a kaleidoscope of circular enterprises in this edition of the EkoCalendar. In this blog, you will meet enterprises that pioneered circular and socially impacting solutions that received Ekonnect’s mentorship and hand-holding. Each enterprise tells a story, and within their narratives lies the inspiration for a sustainable and inclusive future. May this EkoCalendar inspire and plant seeds for a more circular, sustainable and equitable tomorrow.
Auspice
Social Innovation for Food!
Auspice Social is a purpose-driven social enterprise pursuing meaningful profits. Auspice produces 55 varieties of Naturally Dried Culinary Herbs, Seasonings, and Spices. All Auspice products are cleaned, sorted, packaged and labelled by persons with Autism. Auspice provides hands-on training and skill development to adults with autism. Auspice thus offers an opportunity for gainful employment to someone with Autism and strengthens their ability to contribute to society.
Based in Ghaziabad, Auspice has an online store. It was founded by Mr Parag Ghosh. Check out the Auspice website here!
Range of Auspice products
Bintix
No Waste Shall Go Wasted
Bintix Waste Research is a waste-tech company advancing towards a 'zero waste to landfill' future by maximising waste value through technology. Ensuring compliance with waste segregation at source, waste traceability, and value creation from data analytics, it has reached 30K+ households, collected ~2.5 Mn Kgs of waste, averting ~8.5 Mn Kg CO2e emissions, and generated 140 jobs.
Founded by Mr Roshan Miranda, it operates across Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Lucknow. Read more about Bintix here!
A ‘waste champion’ at work at Bintix
Dwij
Upcycled in India
Dwij, translating to 'second life' in Sanskrit, envisions delivering ethically crafted, low-waste, upcycled denim products to every household. As a proud "upcycled in India" brand, it rescues post-consumer jeans from landfills to make utility accessories such as bags, totes, handmade toys, handmade jewellery, home decor, etc. Since 2018, Dwij has upcycled 8,000+ pairs of jeans, 1,800m of post-industrial denim, and 500m of recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) felt fabric.
Founded by Ms Soumya Kalluri, Dwij is based in Mumbai, India. Check the Dwij website here!
Dwij’s products like table runners, bags, toys and more
Earth Tatva
Doing more and better with less
Earth Tatva is an enterprise recycling fired ceramic waste, a material specifically known for its non-biodegradability. Its innovation lies in upcycling the non-biodegradable ceramic waste into a new clay that is not just microwave-safe and energy-efficient, but also 100% recyclable. This process reduces the mining of minerals by a staggering 60% and lowers carbon emissions by 22.9%.
Founded by Shashank Nimkar, Earth Tatva is based in Ahmedabad. To view their website, click here!
Earth Tatva’s Products
Ecolastic
Goodbye Plastic! Change the World With ECOLASTIC
Ecolastic specialises in manufacturing and supplying an extensive range of eco-friendly compostable products, including films, carry bags, garbage bags, pouches, courier bags, garment bags, plant bags, gloves, and head caps. It offers an alternative to single-use plastic polyethylene/polypropylene bags without compromising functionality and properties. Ecolastic products are applicable across various sectors and can be decomposed at home or through composting.
Based in Hyderabad, Ecolastic was founded by Vishwa Samudra Holdings Private Limited. Read more about Ecolastic here!
Ecolastic- 100% compostable bioplastics
Greensole
Step towards Sustainability
Greensole crafts sustainable, vegan shoes using in-house materials like coffee, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), and parts of old shoes, offering upcycling solutions. While upcycling about 0.58 Mn used shoes and apparel into slippers and bags, Greensole has employed over 100 people, creating jobs in upcycling and retail. Going above and beyond, it has provided footwear, bags, and mats to children in need.
Founded by Mr Shriyans Bhandari & Mr Ramesh Dhami, Greensole is based in Mumbai and has a presence across India. Read more about Greensole here!
Greensole’s shoes
Mini Mines
Extracting what matters
Mini Mines is a prominent lithium-ion battery resource recovery company dedicated to sustainable solutions for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Utilising the proprietary Hybrid Hydrometallurgy™ process, it achieves zero emissions. This process recovers up to 96% of all materials from lithium-ion batteries, exceeding 99% purity and recovering critical materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. This approach lessens the environmental impact and fosters a circular economy towards resource security.
It was founded by Mr Arvind Bhardwaj and Mr Anupam Kumar and is based in Bangalore, Karnataka, Jaipur and Rajasthan. Read more about Mini Mines here!
Extracted Chemicals
NotOnMap
Live like Local; Travel to impact
NotOnMap links the travel industry with marginalised Indian villages, leveraging skill development and productising untapped cultural heritage to empower locals and minimise migration. This tech-enabled initiative connects communities with researchers, explorers, and travellers, contributing to community development. Impacting 50K+ lives across 15+ Indian states, it revives old houses, traditional cuisines, and arts, fostering a cultural renaissance.
Founded by Mr Kumar Anubhav along with Mr Manuj Sharma, NotOnMap facilitates cultural exchange across rural and urban settings. Read more about NotOnMap here!
A classic NotOnMap experience
Padcare
Transforming Lives, one pad at a time
Pioneering change, PadCare transforms lives with the world’s first sanitary napkin recycling technology. Padcare aims to deliver sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions, to every menstruator in societies, institutions, and corporates. Each kilogram of recycled pads saves 20 Ltr of landfill waste and 2.14 Kg of CO2 equivalent. So far, it has helped over 100,000 girls and women and recycled 50 MT of sanitary waste.
Founded by Mr Ajinkya Dhariya, it is operational in 16 cities in India. Read more about what Padcare does here!
An employee at work at Padcare
reCharkha- The EcoSocial Tribe
Upcycled and Handwoven in India, with pride
reCharkha EcoSocial creates livelihood opportunities for our tribal Women and Youth as they manually weave fabric from waste plastic using a traditional charkha (Spindle) and handloom. The fabric is used to make consumer products such as handbags, fashion accessories, office utilities and home decor. Over the last eight years, reCharkha generated a revenue of approx. ₹6.7 Cr and upcycled around 3.1 Mn plastic bags and wrappers, reducing litter and waste to landfills.
Founded by Ms Amita Deshpande, reCharkha has stores in Pune and Mumbai. Read more about it here!
reCharkha products, alongside their makers
RecycleX
Decarbonizing Construction
RecycleX is a groundbreaking initiative that repurposes plastic waste to eradicate cement from concrete. Recyclex’s versatile Eco-Concrete has 80% less carbon footprint than traditional concrete and recycles plastic waste simultaneously. Every recycled brick saves about 0.3 Kg of CO2 and 0.09 sq. mt. of fertile soil land. These bricks are being utilised in affordable housing projects, effectively reducing construction costs by up to 5% while meeting the required standards.
Founded by Mr Abhishek Chhazed & Mr Vedant Gandhi, RecycleX is based in Bharuch and Ankleshwar in Gujarat. Read more about RecycleX here!
Rex bricks- plastic waste being repurposed into a brick
WITHOUT by Ashaya
Reimagining waste and poverty for good
WITHOUT transforms impossible-to-recycle layers from waste chip packets into high-quality, recyclable products like sunglasses. WITHOUT actively supports the livelihoods of waste pickers, facilitating a 2X increase in income, providing healthcare insurance, and supporting their children's education. Besides, it helps reduce the litter caused by single-use plastic and the waste flow to the landfill.
Founded by Mr Anish Malpani, WITHOUT is based in Pune and has an online presence in multiple cities. Check out the website here!
WITHOUT glasses
Zero Circle
Ocean-safe materials for a plastic free future
‘Zerocircle Alternatives’ manufactures ocean-safe, bio-digestible and 100% home-compostable alternatives for traditional plastic. This innovation is considered ‘Ocean Positive’ because it uses seaweed that sequesters carbon, and its use employs coastal communities that are vulnerable to climate change. Besides, Zerocircle uses ‘green and clean chemistry’ to make the products bio-degradable.
Founded by Ms Neha Jain, Zerocircle has a presence in places like India, the EU, the US, the Middle East, Latin America, Canada, and China. Read more about Zerocircle here!
One of Zerocircle’s products
In the realm of circular businesses, enterprises often grapple with multifaceted challenges, including carving their idea into a sustainable business model and communicating the positive impact they are creating to society. Entrepreneurs, therefore, need careful mentoring and handholding in navigating the complexities of sustainability, innovation, and market dynamics.
This is precisely where the synergy between the Environmental Management Centre’s (EMC) practice experience and Ekonnect's commitment to capacity-building becomes pivotal. Challenge us, work with us and help us in our journey to promote eco-entrepreneurship globally. Let us all make a difference.
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