It might be cheap, easily available and a convenient option but the truth is plastic is still very hazardous for mother environment. to fight against the plastic menace, a young women entrepreneur came up with an innovative idea.
Samanvi Bhograj, a women entrepreneur from the silicon valley of India, Bengaluru founded Visfortec Private Limited - a startup that manufactures 100% biodegradable and compostable hardware products made from plant fibre
She embarked on her journey of finding an alternative to plastic tableware about four years ago: “I had worked in the field of sustainable energy for some time and was always inclined towards working for the environment. I wanted to replace plastic with a natural material rather than something that would deplete our resources.”
After an exhaustive research, she made a decision to manufacture products using sugarcane bagasse - the fibre obtained from sugarcane after extracting juice.
The company manufactures food containers and tableware products which decompose within 30-60 days after being discarded. The cutlery is very user-friendly because it does not impart color, odour or taste to the food. Also, the products are micro wave-safe and have an estimated life of about two years. However, the tableware has to be discarded after use since users cannot wash them
The company claims to be south India's first and only manufacturing unit of products made from plant fiber and produces about 15 lakh pieces of cutlery every month. The cutlery caters to restaurants, organizations and takeaway shops on consistent bais.
However, what makes her initiative even more uplifting is the fact that she mostly hires women employees having hearing and speech impairment. She also works with women in the villages around Bengaluru who help her by producing packaging material
The companies goods are sold online and also in some organic stores in Bengaluru. They will soon be selling their products through amazon, snapdeal etc. Samanvi harbours dream of making her products available to the masses - from street vendors to five-star hotels
