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By India Today Web Desk: In recent years, environmental degradation has been on the increase and it's an awfully important issue. Reducing pollution is through the utilization of environmentally friendly disposables. Eco-friendly disposables are thrown away after use, which can cause no harm to the environment.

They are completely pure and decompose faster hence don't contribute to environmental pollution. These things are mostly biodegradable and are natural products.

For decades, we have been polluting the environment with plastic disposables, obsessive about the environment.

Nowadays we examine many innovations to interchange plastic disposables with other forms of disposables that are eco-friendly, labelled as pro-earth, biodegradable, compostable, etc. With the global climate change emergency, water crisis and pollution can't afford to induce it wrong this time.

Many businesses in today's society have become more mindful of their practices and are finding new ways to become more eco-friendly and help tackle climate changes.

It's becoming increasingly common for cafes and restaurants around the world to be using these eco-friendly disposables. A number of these disposables include coffee cups made of bamboo, cornstarch plates, and wooden straws.

Sustainability means reducing our carbon footprint and retaining nature's cycle to return to earth whatever we consume. We want to travel back to a circular economy following the hierarchy of sustainability i.e Refuse, Reduce and Reuse, before Recycle and take away.

Here are few ideas for businesses that are showing the correct intent during this direction, but with misguided choices:

1. Disposables at dine-in

There is no sense in serving disposables for dine-in. Water consumed for laundry dishes is far but then that for procuring, manufacturing, shipping and buying disposables, then segregating, collecting and processing these.

2. Difficulty composting

Most of the biodegradables, compostables and disposables require industry conditions to urge composted, which are as long as segregated properly.

3. Areca plates

These are chemical-free and natural but composting these takes about six months and requires additional efforts like shredding.

4. Plastic packaging

Chips, biscuits and plenty of more are sold for hundreds of years but after the plastic invasion, it becomes unthinkable to pack every biscuit without the wrap.

The low-value the mixed material is employed, the more elite the biscuit or cake is the more the plastic wraps around it. The wraps increase the period, but this implies more stale products.

5. Delivering cutlery

Most people prefer to order food either at the office or from home, both places can have cutlery sets. Some like Fresh Menu even claim to own cutlery manufactured from cornstarch.

It's good to determine some online giants giving users the selection to avoid cutlery delivery, but we don't mind anything coming our way free. So let's make it 'no cutlery' by default, and let people add it if it's needed and pay a touch extra.

6. Paper bags vs reusables

Restaurants have started giving paper bags for food delivery but why not just have reusable bags, give only the food Dabba to customers and have your delivery person kept the bag for the following delivery.

We need to start out thinking of the full product cycle before calling something sustainable. Change must come from business design, right from inception.

A number of us refusing single-use can only bring forth most change. It ends up in personal satisfaction and inspires some but can't keep in step with temperature change.

Sustainability isn't a project or campaign. It's a mindset, way of mindful consumption, and owning the producer's responsibility.

New Delhi, 22nd February 2021 : Caring about the environment is, thankfully, becoming a norm as the environment is in a state that needs immediate attention. There is plenty of data being published through valid information and resources every day that keep shedding light on how much waste people produce, specifically plastic products and how this is adversely affecting our environment. In a day, the average human produces around 4.5 pounds of garbage. It is getting much harder to get rid of the amount of waste that is increasing with such an alarming rate.

It is so easy to pick up foam or paper plates or to use a to-go container when in a pinch but everything turns into waste once used and eventually end up in a landfill or in an animal’s habitat where it shouldn’t be. Regular paper plates can quickly get decomposed but it comes with the cost of cutting down trees and the foam plates and the plastic cutlery taking even longer to decompose.

Prakritii was incepted in 2011 with a unique concept to reduce the rapid rise in waste creation by using 100% biodegradable tableware and cutlery. The company uses naturally shed leaves from Areca (Palm) trees to make tableware which is eco-friendly and safe for the environment. With the aim to provide eco-friendly products to cutting down the rate at which pollution is destroying the environment, Prakritii endeavours to build a brand that resonates socially- responsible behaviour.

Vaibhav Jaiswal, Co- Founder & Director of Prakritii said; “I and Amardeep, Co-Founder of Prakritii, always wanted to start an enterprise that would not harm the ecological balance. We explored the options and concluded what we wanted. Eventually, we shaped our dream as “Prakritii – Cultivating Green” an idea which changed our life for good. We realised that cheap plastic and thermocol is the root cause of growing carbon footprints causing imbalance in the ecosystem. Industrialization has left us yearning for the time when we used to eat food on banana leaves. We thought on the similar lines and came up with the idea of making plates and other household items out of Areca Palm leaves. Thus, our business venture is based on a sustainable outlook towards the environment.”

READ MORE- Prakritii- Providing a substitute to eat in Green not just green - Newsstudio18

An eco-friendly company, Prakritii uses naturally shed leaves from areca (palm) trees to make tableware that is safe for the environment. Its sole aim is to provide ecofriendly products to cut down the rate at which pollution is destroying the environment. In an exclusive interview with BIZZ BUZZ, Vaibhav Jaiswal, Director & Co-Founder of Prakritii Cultivating Green, says: "The Covid is the game-changer that leads to the paradigm shift from using re-useable crockery to eco-friendly tableware in the hospitality industry. Thus, the post Covid world will hold immerse opportunities for our business."

How did you begin your tryst with nature?

The idea behind the inception of Prakritii came into form in our graduation days. While in college, we noticed how human activities are adversely affecting the environment and realized the danger it will cause in the long run. Environmental pollution is a serious threat facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. Plastic is one of the most harmful elements that is harming our environment. Plastics are non-biodegradable and stay in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years and trickle toxic substances into the groundwater. Biodegradable products can, therefore, reduce landfill mass by as much as 30 per cent. This gave us the thought of starting a venture that can be beneficial for the environment and profitable as well.

How did you zero in on environment-friendly disposables?

Witnessing the harm that plastic causes to the environment, we analyzed the ways it is consumed in large quantities as disposables. Prakritii was incepted in 2011 with a unique concept to reduce this waste creation by using 100 per cent biodegradable tableware and cutlery. The company uses naturally shed leaves from areca (palm) trees to make tableware that is eco-friendly and safe for the environment. With the aim to provide eco-friendly products to cut down the rate at which pollution is destroying the environment, Prakritii endeavours to build a brand that resonates with sociallyresponsible behavior.

How big is the biodegradable tableware market and what is the growth potential in the near future?

The biodegradable tableware market is on a growth streak as it is witnessing increasing popularity due to innovative and non-toxic tableware products. According to a report by Market Research Future, the biodegradable tableware market is projected to reach $990.6 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 5.98 per cent between 2019 and 2025. Due to the rise in pollution levels and plastic being a major source of this, people are increasingly becoming aware of the ill effects this will cause in the future.

Governments are also taking initiatives to restrict the use of plastic tableware. For instance, the Indian government has replaced plastic cutlery, teacups, and water bottles with steel and biodegradable products in all government offices.

When do you reckon the hospitality industry will be back to normal times?

The global pandemic has affected the hospitality industry as it has impacted the other sectors. The loss in terms of profit and employment is immense and it will take a long time for the demand to come back to its normal levels. Keeping in mind the long-term effects of the pandemic and the vaccination drive in progress, we expect a slow but steady revival in the industry.

What is your strategy during the Covid and post Covid?

As the company was zero debt and had strategically managed business in the past, reserves and surplus were used to hold the team together. During the entire period, no employees were sacked. Later, in the third and fourth quarters, as restrictions were liberalised, the market took its pace. Although the pace couldn't compensate for the loss incurred but helped in sustaining. The Covid is the game-changer that leads to the paradigm shift from using re-useable crockery to eco-friendly tableware in the hospitality industry. Thus, the post-Covid world will hold immerse opportunities for our business.

What kind of response you are expecting for your disposable environment-friendly cutlery post Covid?

The pandemic has created a positive outlook among people regarding disposable environment-friendly cutlery. In the past one year, we have seen a change in the attitude of people towards disposable cutlery. Zero contact is the main reason for this choice but what remains to be done is cutting the use of plastic and adapting to ecofriendly cutlery. The tableware by Prakritii from areca leaves is a better alternative that will mutually benefit the pandemic stuck population and the environment.

How does eco-friendly dinnerware benefit the environment, economy and society?

Businesses across the world have become more cautious in their practices and are finding new ways to become more eco-friendly and help tackle climate changes. Ecofriendly dinnerware holds the key to sustainable efforts enhancing both nature and the economy. It will thus help the environment by reducing the waste and eventually lead to a boost in the economy benefiting society. We are making something great from waste and creating a sustainable environment. Every technology, machine, the infrastructure of Prakritii Tableware made and developed in India thus we are promoting Swadeshi and adding to the GDP of the nation.

READ MORE- Hospitality industry can profit in a big way by going green (bizzbuzz.news)

“To do good, you actually have to do something.” Thereupon we get to the importance of nature and therefore the drastic effects of plastics on our surroundings. It’s been our greatest concern that plastics have led the environment into an absurd state of commotion.

Through various surveys, it’s been noticed that the quantity of plastics has made an exemplary urge of pollution and retainment towards cleanliness. An incline towards the usage of organic materials is seen for a while.

In an online survey, it’s been found that over 50 percent of the Indian population, including those from urban areas, have started using organic tableware even in their households. The survey revealed that almost 56 percent of the households have access to organic tableware whereas 36 percent of them still don’t have the way to the organic utilities in their neighbourhoods.

In Mumbai, 59 percent of households have access to organic tablewares, but only 23 percent of the households are still at the barge.

In West Bengal, 30 percent of the households have no access to organic tableware as compared to the households having the access to organic tableware. These surveys show us the important circumstances of the assembly into organic utilities for the general public.

Therefore, it doesn’t cause the only conditions of the environment. While 60 percent of the population holds access to organic tableware and the rest are all going as per the Traditional methods of tableware, Prakritii Cultivating Green showcases a wide range of tableware for the generation to modify towards nature’s way and make Our Mother Earth clean and green. 

Furthermore, the surveys predict the acute urge for the change within the production of the tableware and see an incline towards the usage of organic variables available within the market.

Vaibhav Jaiswal and Amardeep Bardhan, Co-Founders of Prakritii Cultivating Green, said in a statement, “The major challenge is the lack of knowledge towards organic tableware which remains to lie in between the general public. For over centuries people have been using plastics which have led the environment to get worse.

“Our range of tableware gives an implies of unification alongside eco-friendly production. Our Mother Earth needs 0% toxicity and 100% reliability in terms of tableware for the people as well as the environment,” the founders added.R

READ MORE- 50% of people lack access to organic tableware: Prakritii Cultivating Green - MediaBrief

New Delhi, 26.10.2021: This Festive season,Prakritii Cultivating Green, the first ‘Made-in-India’ range of organic products in the lifestyle category has urged the people to avoid using harmful plastic cutlery and switch to biodegradable cutlery by them. Prakritii provides complete tableware products solution to customers and brands across the globe.

Prakritii – Cultivating Green took form in the year 2011 by Vaibhav Jaiswal and Amardeep Bardhan, and since then they have been making waves with its dinnerware made with Arecanut Sheaths (leaf extensions) naturally shed from Areca (Palm) trees and are widely acclaimed in United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Russia, CIS Countries, South East Asia, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Panama, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Baltic & Scandanivian countries to name a few.

Product Features:
All the products from Prakritii has India’s first-

1.100% nature biodegradable made from fallen leaves which leads to no cutting down of plants and trees

2.Natural and Attractive which makes it Stylish, Elegant and Unique

3. Organic and Eco-Friendly with no glues, chemicals, plastics, waxes and toxins

4.Durable and Versatile which stands up to hot foods, liquid and direct sunlight around 6 to 8 hrs

5.Easy compostable within 7-10 days

6.Safe for Oven, microwave and refrigerator

According to, Vaibhav Jaiswal & Amardeep Bardhan, Co-Founder of Prakritii ” Hygienic food practices have always been a part of a healthy lifestyle. This festive season, we want people and brands to switch to biodegradable tableware and move a step closer towards the healthy lifestyle.”

“Prakritii dinnerware is made out of fallen leaves which are of no use in general. So, this usage gives the product its uniqueness. If these leaves are not used, it simply decomposes or being thrown into the pit. They collect these fallen leaves and mold them to be used as dinnerware, the best elegant-looking dinnerware which is eco-friendly. After one use, it can be dumped into a pit that decomposes itself in 7-10 days. “,they added.

READ MORE- Celebrate Plastic Free Eco-Friendly Festive with Prakritii Cultivating Green - Newsstudio18

Their story can make a perfect Bollywood script. Two youngsters from diverse family backgrounds and hailing from different states became friends at Institute of Integrated Learning in Management University (IILM), Greater Noida, while doing their MBA.

In their MBA first year, Vaibhav Jaiswal and Amardeep Bardhan participated in an inter-collegiate business plan contest, and bagged the first prize for their eco-friendly plates made of areca palm leaves.

Vaibhav Jaiswal (right) and Amardeep Bardhan started Prakritii in 2011 with Rs 20,000 (Photos: Special Arrangement) 

The duo went on to win more contests with the same product, competing against students from prestigious institutions such as BITS Pilani, the various IITs and IIMs, and eventually launched their own company with Rs 20,000 in 2011.

“We formulated a business plan for developing bio-degradable dinnerware using leaves of the areca palm trees and avoiding plastic and thermocol materials,” says Amardeep, who was just 21 when they started Prakritii - Cultivating Green.

Ten years later, they have grown into a Rs 18 crore turnover company with stakes in pharmaceuticals and FMCG exports as well. Prakritii was initially a partnership firm, but later became AV Prakritii International Private Limited in 2018.

With factories at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Bhadravathi in Karnataka, today Prakritii produces around 75 varieties of dinnerware products, including plates, bowls, spoons, forks and knives.

Their products are exported to many countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.

How the duo built the company from scratch, after winning a series of college level business competitions, and making enough money in the form of cash prizes that took care of about 70 per cent of their tuition fees and all their recreational expenses, is an inspiring journey indeed.

Amardeep is a year younger to Vaibhav and hails from the small town of Tinsukia in Assam. His father passed away when his mother was 6-7 months pregnant and he grew up under a single parent.

“We were not financially strong. My mother was into accounts and worked with a private bank. She also gave home tuitions to make some extra money,” Amardeep remembers his struggling growing up years.

He did his schooling at Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya in Tinsukia, and graduated in commerce from Tinsukia College in 2009.

Vaibhav hails from a well-to-do family in Varanasi. His father is a scrap trader. He studied at St John’s School in Varanasi and went to Delhi for doing his graduation in commerce from Bhagat Singh College.

It was Vaibhav who proposed the idea of plates made of areca plam leaves for the first business plan contest they entered in 2009.

In the following months till they completed graduation, Vaibhav and Amardeep participated in about 15-20 competitions held at various institutions and won prizes almost everywhere. In one of the contests they won, they were felicitated at a function attended by top dignitaries including Prince Charles.

Prakritii produces around 75 varieties of dinnerware products, including plates, bowls, spoons, forks and knives

“We stood either first or second at these contests and our product became very popular,” says Vaibhav. “We earned about 70 per cent of our college fees from the cash prizes and divided the money between us. We had a nice time splurging the money.”

Both got placed in good companies after graduation, but they left their jobs in less than six months and started Prakritii in 2011.

Since Assam had a number of betel nut trees, whose leaves were used to make their products, they set up the first unit at Tinsukia, Amardeep’s hometown, with two first generation machines.

“We received our first order worth Rs 11,000 from an NRI family in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 2011, before we had our organisation registered. Our first distributor is also from Kanpur,” says Vaibhav.

But they faced operational challenges at Tinsukia and decided to take over a sick unit in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, the next year and started production there.

“Our first year turnover was about Rs 6 lakh. It was Rs 20 lakh in the second year and it kept on increasing,” says Vaibhav.

They used blogs, Facebook, and other social media platforms to promote their products. They also got business from supermarkets and catering firms, besides getting leads from India Mart where they were listed.

Amardeep and Vaibhav with team members at their corporate office in Delhi

“I focused on export market and met officials at embassies. Each Embassy has a trade division and I used to approach them and give short presentations. One out of 20 visits would click, and we were happy with the results,” says Amardeep.

Business swelled in September 2014, when they started exporting. The first order worth Rs 90,000 came from Melbourne, Australia, which was followed by a bigger one, a full container shipment to a company based in Germany.

“We were to deliver 1.20 lakh plates in two months but we took four months to deliver. That order was worth Rs 15 lakh,” says Vaibhav. “Today, we export to around 18 countries.”

As an eco-friendly company, they don’t cut any trees and make their products from only naturally shed leaves. Their products are free of any chemicals.

“We are now an international brand,” says Vaibhav. “We meet all the European and US standards. We are assuming the market might be slow this year but it will pick up from next year.”

On the personal front, Amardeep, who is married and blessed with a son, enjoys playing badminton. Vaibhav is single, loves travelling, and likes to read fiction and biographies of successful people.

Read More- The Weekend Leader - Vaibhav Jaiswal and Amardeep Bardhan | Prakritii Cultivating Green | Biodegradable Dinnerware | Areca Leaf Plates and Bowls

Prakritii Cultivating Green ties up with bigger hotel chains around India who have now started considering eco-friendly disposables as key ingredients to their success going forward.

The ongoing pandemic has given leverage to the brand as hotels are now trusting branded eco-friendly disposable companies as compared to common mom and pop stores.

The organic dinnerware company is currently working with hotel chains across their location such as Radisson, Hyatt, Taj Exotica, Taj Sats, Ginger Hotels, First Fiddle F&B Pvt Ltd, Social (Impressario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd), Imperfecto, Shangri-La and many more. With a pan-India presence, the company is serving more than 50 hotel groups.

The pressure on hygiene and paranoia over the spread of the coronavirus is slowly leading to a reversal of the central government’s push to phase out single-use plastic. The dependence on disposables, such as styrofoam plastic cutlery, cups, containers, carry bags, and garbage bags, and greater consumption of packaged drinking water as a safety measure to avoid contracting Covid-19.

The hotel chains have taken a step forward to eliminate plastic from their property and are aggressively vouching for eco-friendly and biodegradable disposables.

There are some trends that the hospitality industry is following nowadays post-Covid-19 is that of takeaways instead of Dine-in. Besides, they have also started using disposables for dine-in too, keeping in mind hygiene and safety, which in a way have resulted in elimination of reusable dinnerware trend.

Prakritii helps the hotel chains to reduce styrofoam plastic and have developed more than 100 design variations which have increased the utility of these plates.

The products are being used for packaging dry fruits, chocolates, vegetables, etc giving it an aesthetic look. They have been making waves with their dinnerware made with Arecanut Sheaths (leaf extensions) naturally shed from Areca (Palm) trees and are widely acclaimed in countries like Germany, Sweden, France, USA, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe countries and a few more to count.

The range of organic dinnerware company further tracks and measures their partners’ performance to make sure they move towards supporting eco-friendly disposables. To enhance the pace of innovation, they have started working on the 5th generation plate machines to design their upcoming products.

Vaibhav Jaiswal, Director & Co-Founder of Prakritii said, “People have realized to live sustainably and the need to promote the eco-system but it all begins with implementation and execution of the choice. The idea is to consume what you need and leave for others. The hospitality chains are demanding innovative solutions to replace plastic. Therefore, they need to develop an internal culture of sustainability. The longevity of businesses today and in the future will depend largely on how human-centric and eco-friendly we can make them.”

Commenting on the no plastic policy, Amardeep Bardan, Co-Founder of Prakritii said, “Eco-friendly alternatives are important for the hospitality industry which are making responsible choices. Hotels are shifting to no-plastic disposables in today’s context.”

Read more- NEWS| Prakritii Cultivating Green partners with leading hotel chains to provide them with eco-friendly disposables — www.hospemag.me

Prakritii dinnerware is made out of fallen leaves which are of no use in general

Hygienic food practices have always been a part of a healthy lifestyle. Keeping in view the current situation wherein the country is facing a serious outburst of the covid-19 second wave in the Delhi-NCR region, it becomes utmost important to maintain hygiene in food consumption.

Being a neighbourhood of this crisis, the patients of covid-19 are being served with the simplest quality of food and proper resources for cutlery. The large expansion of “Covid Tiffin” has been introduced to the general public so that the environment-friendly method might be accessible. 

Prakritii dinnerware is made out of fallen leaves which are of no use in general. Their products are 100% natural, biodegradable, compostable, oven-safe, water-resistant, refrigerator safe, and can hold both types of liquids hot & cold.

Since no food or liquid reacts when in use is the best attribute of the product. Areca leaf products are safe in all Microbiological Testing (like Plate count within acceptable limit for food contact, No Presence of E-Coli, and no presence of Fungus). The products do not contain any heavy metal which is confirmed through laboratory tests for each consignment. Additionally, their products pass successfully the Compostable Testing.

Vaibhav Jaiswal, Director & Co-Founder of Prakritii, New Delhi said, “Episodically, Covid is fixing practically everything we have done on the disposal of single-utilized plastic and we should find some alternatives to it before it goes much worse. A ton of Covid-19 patients grumbled that restaurants have been declining their food orders in light of them testing positive and their housekeepers had quit coming; the patients were themselves too powerless to even consider cooking. That is the thing that pushed us to step in.”

Read More- Prakritii Cultivating Green offers food & cutlery for COVID-19 patients - FFOODS Spectrum - Unleashing the Power of Food Science & Technology (nuffoodsspectrum.in)

Sustainability disposables are the key ingredients going forward as the ongoing pandemic has taught us to use Made in India Initiative which is designed by the Government of India.

Prakritii Cultivating Green ties up with artisans and manufacturers around India in Uttarakhand and North East for making Bamboo cutlery to focus more on Anti-China segments.

Sustainability disposables are the key ingredients going forward as the ongoing pandemic has taught us to use Made in India Initiative which is designed by the Government of India.

India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of Bamboo after China and there is a vast scope of expanding bamboo in areas outside forests as people are now trusting branded eco-friendly disposables companies than common stores. 

“People have realized to live sustainably and the need to promote the eco-system but it all begins with implementation and execution of the choice. The idea is to consume what you need and leave for others. The longevity of businesses today and in the future will depend largely on how human-centric and eco-friendly we can make them,”said Vaibhav Jaiswal, Director & Co-Founder of Prakritii.

There are some revolutionary changes that the hospitality industry is following nowadays post Covid-19 is takeaways instead of Dine-in, and started using disposable or bamboo cutlery in dine-in too for hygiene and safety purpose and eliminated reusable dinnerware trend.

 Read More- With sustainability in focus, Prakritii Cultivating Green ties up with artisans across India (indianretailer.com)

"शुरू में, दोनों ने अपनी प्लेटें कैटरर्स और इवेंट आयोजकों को बेचीं जो बड़े समारोहों और पार्टियों में उनका इस्तेमाल करते थे। बढ़ती लोकप्रियता को देखने के बाद, उन्होंने इको-फ्रेंडली कटलरी, ग्लास, स्टिरर आदि को शामिल करके अपने प्रोडक्ट पोर्टफोलियो का विस्तार किया। फाउंडर्स का दावा है कि आज, प्रकृती 18 करोड़ रुपये का सालाना कारोबार कर रही है, और 120 लोगों के लिए सीधे व 700 लोगों के लिए अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से रोजगार पैदा कर रही है।" गुरुग्राम में IILM ग्रेजुएट स्कूल ऑफ मैनेजमेंट से ग्रेुजुएशन करने वाले अमरदीप बर्धन और वैभव जायसवाल अपने बिजनेस आइडिया को लेकर एक साथ आए। दोनों ने प्लास्टिक और पॉलीमर प्लेटों के इस्तेमाल से होने वाले प्रतिकूल पर्यावरणीय प्रभाव के बारे में दृढ़ता से महसूस किया।  इस मुद्दे को हल करने के लिए, अमरदीप और वैभव ने प्लास्टिक की प्लेटों के लिए एक वैकल्पिक विकल्प के रूप में ऐरेका लीफ प्लेट यानी ऐरेका की पत्तियों से प्लेट बनाने का फैसला किया। उन्होंने अमरदीप के गृह राज्य असम से पत्तियों को स्रोत करने का निर्णय लिया। असम में पर्यावरण के अनुकूल और डिस्पोजेबल प्लेट बनाने के लिए ऐरेका पत्तियों की बहुतायत थी। इसने अंततः उन्हें 2012 में प्रकृती कल्टीवेटिंग ग्रीन शुरू करने के लिए प्रेरित किया जिसे असम में शुरू किया गया था और दिल्ली से संचालित किया गया। अमरदीप YourStory को बताते हैं, “हमने छोटे पैमाने पर संसाधनों की व्यवस्था की और 20,000 रुपये के साथ प्रकृती शुरू की। तमिलनाडु के कोयम्बटूर में एक विनिर्माण इकाई की स्थापना करते हुए, हमने असम में पायी जाने वाली पत्तियों का उपयोग करके विभिन्न शेप और साइज में ऐरेका नट लीफ प्लेट का प्रोडक्शन शुरू किया।” शुरू में, दोनों ने अपनी प्लेटें कैटरर्स और इवेंट आयोजकों को बेचीं जो बड़े समारोहों और पार्टियों में उनका इस्तेमाल करते थे। बढ़ती लोकप्रियता को देखने के बाद, उन्होंने इको-फ्रेंडली कटलरी, ग्लास, स्टिरर आदि को शामिल करके अपने प्रोडक्ट पोर्टफोलियो का विस्तार किया। संस्थापकों का दावा है कि आज, प्रकृती 18 करोड़ रुपये का सालाना कारोबार कर रही है, और 120 लोगों के लिए सीधे व 700 लोगों के लिए अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से रोजगार पैदा कर रही है।  

पर्यावरण के अनुकूल लाभ प्लास्टिक की प्लेटें गैर-बायोडिग्रेडेबल होती हैं और डीकम्पोज होने में सैकड़ों, और कभी-कभी हजारों साल लग जाते हैं। इस सबके दौरान, वे मिट्टी और भूजल में विषाक्त पदार्थों को छोड़ती हैं। वहीं बायोडिग्रेडेबल मटेरियल जैसे ऐरेका के पत्तों से बनी प्लेट्स पर्यावरण को नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाती हैं।  ऐरेका के पत्तों से बने प्रकृति की टेबलवेयर रेंज के बारे में बताते हुए वैभव कहते हैं, “हमारी रेंज केमिकल, लाह (lacquers), ग्लू, बॉन्डिंग एजेंट्स या भोजन और हमारे पर्यावरण को नुकसान पहुंचाने वाले कुछ भी टॉक्सिक से 100 प्रतिशत मुक्त है। हम केवल स्टीम, हीट और प्रेसर का उपयोग करके अपने ऐरेका लीफ प्रोडक्ट्स को बनाते हैं।"  वह कहते हैं कि प्रकृति की प्लेटें झड़ी हुई ऐरेका पत्तियों का उपयोग करके बनाई जाती हैं। यह अन्य प्रकार की बायोडिग्रेडेबल प्लेटों के विपरीत है, जैसे कि बांस से बनी, जिनके लिए पेड़ों को गिराना पड़ता है। ऐरेका की पत्तियों का एक और फायदा है - वे अत्यधिक ऑक्सीजन युक्त होती हैं और लंबी अवधि के लिए फल और कच्ची सब्जियों को ताजा रखती हैं। वैभव दावा करते हैं कि उनकी बहुमुखी प्लेटों को ओवन, माइक्रोवेव और रेफ्रिजरेटर में भी इस्तेमाल किया जा सकता है।  मूल्य प्रति पीस 1 रुपये से शुरू होता है और 40 रुपये तक जाता है। संस्थापक कहते हैं कि प्रकृति की प्लेटें 12 से 15 दिनों के बीच घर के गड्ढे में सड़ जाती हैं, और पर्यावरण को कोई नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाती हैं।

अमरदीप कहते हैं, “लोग यह समझने लगे थे कि कैसे हमारे ईको-फ्रेंडली प्रोडक्ट्स विभिन्न परिस्थितियों में प्लास्टिक के विकल्प के रूप में काम कर सकते हैं। इसलिए हमने लकड़ी की कटलरी, पेपर ग्लास, टेकवे बॉक्स आदि बनाना शुरू किया।"

वे कहते हैं कि प्रकृति के प्रोडक्ट ईकॉमर्स पोर्टल्स पर भी उपलब्ध हैं। व्यवसाय के लिए, प्रतियोगियों में समान उत्पादों के छोटे निर्माता शामिल हैं। लेकिन उद्यमियों का मानना है कि उनका विस्तारित उत्पाद पोर्टफोलियो एक संपूर्ण समाधान है जोकि प्रकृति के लिए एक एडवांटेज है।  वैभव कहते हैं, ''हमारे पास प्रमाणपत्र भी हैं जो यह दिखाते हैं कि हमारे उत्पाद अमेरिका और यूरोपीय मानकों के अनुसार मानदंडों का अनुपालन करते हैं। यह निर्यात बाजार में हमारे उत्पादों को बनाने में हमारी मदद करता है।” COVID-19 प्रभाव और भविष्य की योजनाएं जैसा कि कोरोना महामारी के चलते होटल, कैफे और रेस्तरां बंद थे और महामारी के चलते लगे लॉकडाउन के दौरान ईवेंट्स पर भी प्रतिबंध लगा दिया गया था, ऐसे में प्रकृति के प्रोडक्ट्स की बिक्री में तेजी से गिरावट देखी गई।  हालांकि, बिजनेस पर किसी भी तरह का कोई ऋण नहीं था, इसलिए संस्थापक दावा करते हैं वह बिना किसी कर्मचारी को निकाले अपने भंडार और अधिशेष का उपयोग करते हुए बने रहे।  अमरदीप कहते हैं, “जैसे-जैसे चीजें सामान्य हुईं, हमने व्यापार को बनाए रखा है, लेकिन नुकसान अभी तक पूरी तरह से ठीक नहीं हुआ है। अब, महामारी हमारे लिए एक गेम-चेंजर बन गई है क्योंकि आतिथ्य उद्योग पुन: प्रयोज्य क्रॉकरी का उपयोग करके इको-फ्रेंडली, डिस्पोजेबल टेबलवेयर का उपयोग करता है।”  रिसर्चएंडमार्केट्स की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार अगले पांच वर्षों में वैश्विक बायोडिग्रेडेबल कटलरी बाजार का विस्तार लगभग पांच प्रतिशत के सीएजीआर से होने की उम्मीद है। प्रकृति अब पर्यावरण के अनुकूल और टिकाऊ कटलरी की इस बढ़ती मांग को पूरा करने के लिए अपनी उत्पादन क्षमताओं का विस्तार करने और अपनी उत्पाद लाइन में विविधता लाने की योजना बना रही है।  संस्थापकों का कहना है कि दुनिया तेजी से पर्यावरण पर प्लास्टिक के प्रतिकूल प्रभाव को समझती है, ऐसे में प्रकृति उपयोग के मामलों में सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक की जगह एक भूमिका निभाने के लिए तैयार है।

Read more- ऐरेका पत्तियों का इस्तेमाल कर ईको फ्रेंडली प्लेटें बना रहे ये उद्यमी, 20 हजार के निवेश से शुरू किया था बिजनेस (yourstory.com)

India has made a commitment to tackle the single-use plastic problem.
From 1st of July, 2022, India has banned the use of single-use plastics across the country. The aim of this ban is to reduce the amount of plastic waste that gets into our oceans and waterways, which can harm wildlife and humans alike.
The ban affects disposable items like straws, plastic straws, plates and cutlery, stirrers, trays are to name a few of the 19 items.

This week, the Delhi Government organized Plastic Vikalp Mela to promote the ban and to display the alternative available to these 19 SUP. The move comes after several other cities around the world have made similar moves in recent years to reduce their consumption of disposable plastics.

While this may seem like an extreme measure, it is actually a very smart move for India's environment—and one that could help lower Delhi's pollution levels even further!

Thanks to #DPCC #delhigovernment #Department of Environment for this showcase, supporting the plastic ban and organizing Plastic Vikalp Mela.
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Media Coverage of Prakritii Cultivating Green asking at Plastic Vikalp Mela 2022

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