This couple duo is aiding farmers through recycling waste. Meet Divya Shetty and Vishnu Vardhaan, who runs three startups by recycling waste and helping farmers earn their living! Here is how they are doing it.
Divya Shetty’s grandfather passed away while she was in class II. He was a farmer from the Karnataka state’s Udupi district. He was suffering from throat cancer and had a large amount of debt to settle. He hung himself in their farmhouse because he didn’t want his family to suffer.
Divya in 2015 came across news of numerous farmer suicides in Mandya, Karnataka. This information on the deaths of farmers hit her personally as her grandfather, who was also a farmer committed suicide when she was young.
Her parents made it very clear that she shouldn’t work in farming. They made sure she received a good education and desired that she get a good job. She then finished her engineering degree and began working for an IT firm.
Soon after, Divya ran into Vishnu Vardhaan at a farmer-focused event in Bengaluru. They later co-founded three successful start-ups Indian Superheroes, Pepaa and Cercle X. The couple married in 2019.
Vishnu Vardhaan, who is from Chennai, was touched by the farmer suicides. He claims that working for an American firm led him to reconsider his life choices.
Indian Superheroes – Preserving The Environment With A Pencil
It enables organic producers to bypass middlemen and offer their products straight to consumers.
With the aid of NGOs, they assisted approximately 800 farmers in this area.
They became aware of the paper waste and water shortage issues while assisting farms. They, therefore, sought to produce value-added goods from waste.
They used to discuss the water shortage when working with farmers. On the other side, when working at businesses, they saw a ton of paper waste. They considered making something out of the discarded paper.
They created a recycled paper pencil in June 2018 and called it Plantcil (a plant in a pencil), which has since changed its name to “Pepaa.” The firm now offers a variety of gifting options and stationery goods.
“Pepaa” is made when recyclers approach and collect paper waste from residential areas.
But the idea to put a seed inside the pencil so that it can develop into a plant after being thrown away came from one of the farmers they collaborate with. All of their goods now include a seed.
Pepaa began in 2018 with a Rs 1,000 investment and has now expanded into a firm with a Rs 2 crore yearly income.
Eventually, companies began asking the couple to assist with the recycling of their waste, including plastic, metal, and others.
The waste produced in industries while production is known as pre-consumer waste. They gather the trash and deliver it to recycling plants. After a consumer uses a product, post-consumer waste is what remains on the market.
Businesses must take back this trash in accordance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations set forth by the government. They offer assistance there.
They gather the trash from businesses and marketplaces and deliver it to recycling facilities. Companies can now track every piece of information related to their waste, which was previously impossible.
Like Pepaa there are other innovative startups that are working on innovative and eco-friendly products that solve your practical needs and make our environment safe as well. If you are environment conscious person, you should also check about Ms Tulika, who runs a crockery bank and runs a startup named Green Hands that makes daily use eco-friendly products.
Cercle X – Cloud Based Waste Management Platform
In January 2020, Cercle X, cloud-circular waste management platform, was born. They make it possible for brands to attain zero waste. Every month, 10,000 tonnes of trash are processed using their ScrapMarket App.
Cercle X collaborates with companies and governments on waste management via digital initiatives.
So far, they have enabled 10,000 ragpickers and kabadiwallahs through the platform by paying them good prices.
The network of firms and recyclers is interconnected. They link the two.
Moreover, ragpickers and kabaadiwallahs who work in the unorganized sector do not receive the required attention or remuneration. They collaborate with a lot of women as well. They are able to pay them well for their products.
Currently, Cercle X is raising a pre-series. Now for a round of investments. The two claim that their growth since last year is 914%.
Other worthy startups that are producing eco friendly products and need your attention are:
- Green Hands – Crockery bank
- Green Worms – Green Worms managing waste by collecting and recycling the garbage since 2014
- Decathlon – Recycling plastic bottles into clothes
- Cupable – Makes smart packaging from crop waste that is IOT-enabled and recyclable
- Econiture – Makes Furniture From Recycled Plastic And Clocks Over 1 Crore In Revenue/Year
- Samudhyoga Waste Chakra – Company that converts your plastic waste and urine into useful products
If you like this story, please read the motivation story – Brothers Duo Achieve the Unthinkable! They Design Sustainable Products Via Zero-Carbon Footprint Business, Earns 70 Lakh/Year
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