From storing water to juices and varied different every day necessities, plastic containers have change into ubiquitous in our environment. Regardless of India’s ban on single-use plastic, we see little change within the quantity of plastic waste in landfills. Whereas many states have enforced bans on single-use plastic, plastic water bottles stay a typical supply of plastic waste ending up in landfills.
In response to a report by Moneycontrol, “Roughly 2.8 lakh tonnes of plastic bottle waste goes uncollected yearly. The environmental affect is important. Macroplastics, together with PET, usually clog sewage methods in city and rural areas, pollute rivers, lakes, and seashores, and degrade the aesthetic and ecological worth of vacationer locations and landscapes.”
To fight the escalating concern of plastic waste, many people and changemakers have devised varied options. Amongst these innovators is Nikhil Kumar of Greenevon Bio Bottles, who has pioneered a bottle produced from sugarcane!
“The bottle is 100% biodegradable and 100% pure made utilizing sugarcane. These bottles are surroundings pleasant and solely take 180 days to degrade when uncovered to moisture and excessive temperatures,” Nikhil tells The Higher India.
So how did this innovator innovate a bottle utilizing a plant? We have been as intrigued as you might be.
‘It’s my dream to make the world greener’
Born and raised in Delhi, Nikhil all the time harboured a ardour for enterprise. After finishing his commencement, he resolved to embark on an entrepreneurial journey of his personal.
“This isn’t my first enterprise into the enterprise world. I’ve all the time been pushed to create one thing that’s uniquely mine. Initially, I ventured into the espresso business, adopted by a stint within the clothes enterprise, earlier than transitioning into eco-friendly ventures,” he shares.
Like many people, Nikhil grew up surrounded by the prevalent use of plastic bottles. “It wasn’t an in a single day realisation, however I’ve all the time been acutely aware of environmental points for so long as I can recall. Nonetheless, when it got here to taking motion, I felt a way of objective,” he explains.
Nikhil usually stumbled upon articles highlighting the escalating plastic waste disaster within the nation. “I grew to become more and more conscious of the issue, and as an entrepreneur, I felt compelled to hunt an answer,” he asserts.
Whereas Nikhil acknowledges that there are a number of different choices to plastic, he was decided to develop a product that resembled plastic in look and affordability however was environmentally pleasant.
“I needed to take a break from my earlier startup and focus solely on discovering the suitable different,” he says. So, in 2021, he determined to promote his startup and focus totally on analysis.
He delved into studying about alternate options that have been at present obtainable within the nation and world wide. “There are alternate options like copper, bamboo, and varied types of wooden that individuals are utilizing as an alternative of plastic. Nonetheless, I realised that these alternate options have their very own drawbacks — they’re costly for widespread use and are usually heavyweight. These points pose logistical challenges for producers trying to make use of them in packaging,” he notes.
Nikhil determined to search for alternate options that have been lighter in weight and sturdier in nature.
Discovering the suitable area of interest
In 2021, he co-founded Greenevon Bio Bottles together with Chintan Prajapati.
“Chintan joined me halfway by my analysis. Whereas I used to be assured in my path, I needed to pay attention solely on analysis and sought somebody who may successfully market the product. Chintan was the right match for this position, and our tasks are divided alongside related traces,” he shares.
Sitting throughout from me, holding a bottle that resembled a typical single-use plastic bottle — with the phrases ‘I’m a bottle however I’m not plastic’ printed on it — Nikhil is assured that the bottle will decompose in nature inside six months or 180 days.
“You’ll be able to faucet the bottle, and it’ll sound like plastic; you’ll be able to contact it, you’ll be able to really feel it — it appears equivalent. The one distinction is that it’s biodegradable, plant-based, and environmentally pleasant,” he says.
Talking in regards to the materials and the manufacturing course of, Nikhil explains, “Throughout my analysis, I explored how crops may very well be utilised to create varied supplies. Simply as crops can be utilized to make leather-based, I used to be investigating related potentialities after I stumbled upon the outstanding properties of sugarcane.”
“Sugarcane possesses an unbelievable stretch ratio and sturdiness, and may also be made clear. The mixture of polycarbonate from the plant and starch varieties the uncooked materials for the bottles,” he elaborates.
It took Nikhil almost two and a half years to refine the bottles to their current state. “Presently, the bottles may be moulded into varied shapes, able to holding each liquid and stable meals, and may stand up to completely different temperatures,” he concludes.
Nonetheless, this stage was achieved after loads of trial and error. “The most important hurdle that I confronted whereas legislation designing these bottles was making them clear underneath completely different temperatures and environments. The fabric reacted otherwise to the solar, chilly, and rain, and it was a problem to stabilise it,” shares Nikhil.
The bottles can maintain liquids akin to water and juices, semi-liquids, pharma merchandise, dairy merchandise, in addition to stable meals gadgets. They are often formed and moulded in any type akin to containers.
“The three key elements that the bottle brings to the desk are — It’s 100% degradable, it’s steady underneath 55-degree Celsius temperatures, and it has zero polycarbonate leaking,” he provides.
Relating to the affordability of the bottles, he explains, “Something produced in smaller portions tends to be barely dearer. Whereas plastic bottles are very low cost, we’re striving to make our product extra reasonably priced. Presently, our bottles are almost eight instances dearer than single-use plastic bottles.”
“We’re in touch with many eco-conscious corporations, like ours, who’re interested by utilising our product. The area of interest we’ve recognized contains people targeted on each the associated fee and sustainability facets of the product,” he provides.
Reflecting on his journey up to now, Nikhil says, “Once I began, I approached it with an innovator’s mindset. If I had been overly involved in regards to the affordability and marketplace for the product, it might have been difficult for me to give attention to the product itself. My motivation was to create one thing eco-conscious, and I left the remaining to destiny at the moment. It was the fervour to innovate that stored me going.”
The corporate is at present within the manufacturing stage and is aiming to launch the product in Indian markets inside the subsequent 4 months.
In the event you want to know extra about these distinctive plastic-like merchandise, you’ll be able to attain out to the crew right here.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photos credit score: Greenevon Bottles)
