Within the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when his friends engaged themselves in making social media content material, Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin noticed this as a chance to delve into entrepreneurship and sort out urgent points reminiscent of plastic air pollution.
From a younger age, he dabbled in varied ventures from web site improvement, brand designing, to working a cloud kitchen to promoting burgers from house. His entrepreneurial spirit was fueled by a need to resolve issues slightly than solely chasing monetary beneficial properties.
“In 2019, I questioned what I used to be actually even chasing. Cash? That will come even after I began specializing in fixing actual life issues,” he says.
Whereas researching on prime international environmental points, Azhar discovered that there have been a number of consciousness campaigns and protests worldwide on plastic air pollution. “Until we now have another, there is no such thing as a method to curb plastic utilization. Whereas large manufacturers can afford jute and material luggage however medium and small companies which comprise a bulk of the Indian market proceed to make use of plastic luggage,” he provides.
“One of many main causes behind the intensive use of plastic luggage are its properties. It’s water-resistant, thermal, sturdy, lightweight, and has good tensile power. I needed to seek out an answer that would mirror the properties of plastic whereas being eco-friendly and cheaper than paper, material, and jute alternate options,” he says.
This quest led him to launch ‘Bio Reform’, a Hyderabad-based startup that manufactures compostable luggage utilizing corn waste, sugars, cellulose, and different pure parts into sustainable biopolymers. Up to now two years, it has changed over six million plastic luggage.
Challenges on the best way
Azhar drew his inspiration from a biopolymer analysis paper courting again to the 1800s.
He began finding out a few biodegradable polymer, PBAT (Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate), that’s derived from plant-based sources reminiscent of corn and potatoes. This fashioned the idea of a brand new enterprise endeavour for Azhar.
The following step was to seek out the appropriate equipment to course of the uncooked supplies into finish merchandise. His willpower was examined when he confronted a number of setbacks reminiscent of encountering fraudulent schemes and operational difficulties within the early levels.
“My uncle and I went to Delhi to test the equipment after we got here to know a seemingly promising alternative nevertheless it turned out to be a rip-off. The contact particular person was not answering our calls and his promised location turned out to be a barren land. It was very traumatising for us. I had by some means satisfied my mother and father and now I didn’t wish to return house empty-handed,” he says.
Decided to not let this setback deter them, Azhar and his uncle took a leap of religion and reached out to a different contact in Gujarat, which got here with its personal sequence of challenges.
Touchdown throughout a curfew amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Azhar needed to spend a lot of the evening stranded on the highway because the resort denied check-in on account of a sudden RT-PCR report requirement. “However the perseverance paid off after we witnessed the equipment and its stay demonstration the following morning,” he provides.
Across the similar time, he obtained Rs 1 crore funding from the Journey Park incubator programme. In early 2022, he inaugurated his manufacturing facility in Hyderabad on the age of twenty-two.
Changed 6 million plastic luggage
Establishing a producing unit from scratch was itself difficult for Azhar. He needed to handle the intricacies of a producing enterprise and the pressures of balancing educational commitments.
“On the inauguration day, my uncle, who was additionally the co-founder, give up the corporate citing some private causes. I attempted to steadiness each my research and the operations of the corporate – from amassing uncooked materials, aiding staff to fabricate luggage, delivering the merchandise available in the market. I used to sleep in a nook within the manufacturing facility,” shares Azhar, who was then within the third 12 months of his school.
This continued for a 12 months however Azhar needed to shut the manufacturing facility down after he was unable to make income to maintain the corporate. “I got here again to zero. In the meantime, I had 14-15 backlogs in my engineering. In a bid to steadiness each jobs, I failed at each. It was a irritating state of affairs for me,” he provides.
But, via sheer grit and relentless effort, the civil engineer not solely cleared all exams but in addition secured a funding from an investor, and finally revived his enterprise in a few months.
As we speak, his firm is manufacturing 4-5 lakh carry luggage, biomedical waste luggage, rubbish luggage, meals pouches, and guide wraps. Apparently, Azhar says, these luggage are compostable and may be decomposed inside 180 days. Within the final two years, his startup has changed greater than six million plastic luggage by commercialising within the B2B chain.
Final 12 months, he clocked an annual income of Rs 1.8 crore.
Mohd Sami Uddin, co-founder of Nation Rooster Co, has been utilizing Bio Reform luggage for greater than a 12 months. Sharing his suggestions, he tells The Higher India, “We needed to concentrate on sustainable packaging as a lot as attainable. Previous to Bio Reform luggage, we have been utilizing plastic luggage. Afterward, we additionally tried different sustainable luggage however sadly, they have been neither meals grade high quality nor superior.”
“At occasions, the shoppers would complain to us if some sharp bones would come out from low-grade luggage. Nonetheless, Bio Reform luggage meet all our necessities and may be simply sealed as effectively, much like plastic. Apart from, there was not a lot distinction from the value level additionally. The plastic luggage would value us Rs 160 per kg whereas Bio Reform luggage value Rs 180 per kg,” he provides.
On the particular person stage, Azhar says that he has spearheaded a motion in the direction of India’s imaginative and prescient to turn out to be single-use plastic-free.
“Points associated to plastic air pollution aren’t restricted to affecting aquatic life and animals anymore. As we speak, microplastic has reached our bloodstream. Bottled water incorporates microplastics. Addressing this is a crucial and pressing drawback,” he says.
“I’m glad I’m able to contribute my half. It’s typically taxing to not lead an everyday school life however in the long run, it’s all value it. I really feel content material after I return to sleep. However rather more must be finished to make India plastic-free, and I’ll proceed to try for it,” he provides.
Edited by Padmashree Pande; All pictures: Mohammed Azhar.
