Plastic waste is a major environmental issue, and several efforts are being made to tackle it. One such initiative began in 2017 in Amravati , when four friends come together to reduce waste.
Madhur N. Rathi, an MBA student, was inspired to start Recycle Bell Private Limited in 2017 after attending a waste management conference. He enlisted the help of his friends, Bhushan Boob, Roshan Pidiyar, and Ashish Modak, who each contributed Rs.5 lakh as seed money.
“Wanting to learn more about waste management, I worked at Nepra Resource Management Pvt Ltd in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, as a project coordinator. Three and a half years later, I came back to my hometown due to family reasons. But my love for waste management increased day by day and I asked my friends to help in launching a new venture Recycle Bell Private Limited.”
Initially, waste was collected from shops, ragpickers, and industries and separated before being sold to recyclers to make everyday products.
After two years, they decided to use the waste collected to make their own products, and after extensive research, Econiture was born, which manufactures and sells furniture and home décor using recycled plastic.
Rathi said,“Most of us use products from recycled plastic for an eco-friendly life, but very few know that these same recycled products can be recycled after years. Our brand Econiture’s products are an example of it”.
Till now 5,000 kilograms of plastic waste has been utilised to make stools, chairs, stands, racks, shelfs, tables, benches and pots. These products can be kept safely outdoors without any fear of damage due to climatic conditions.
The company uses e-commerce platforms like Saryu Homes and Amazon to sell these products which range from Rs.300 to 30,000 and the revenue generated is Rs.24 lakhs per year.