When was the last time you used plastic? The chair you sat in an hour ago, the spoon you used ten minutes back, or the pen you are using now? With Plastic becoming almost omnipresent, it isn’t surprising although very saddening that since the 1950s, around 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide.
Plastic is material which averages on usage time of 40 minutes takes about 1000 years or so to decompose. This steady accumulation of Plastic dump has resulted in the exponential growth of plastic pollution in landfills causing extensive soil erosion and Plastic Pollution in the marine bodies with 100,000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million seabirds killed by marine plastic pollution annually. And it isn’t restricted to marine lives and animals in general either; BPA, a chemical found in Plastic can be absorbed in the body and trigger heart diseases, diabetes, damage to the brain and reproductive systems, and potentially damage enough to alter your hormone.
A global population of 7 billion producing over 320 million tons of plastic, and an expectation of a double by 2034, we are definitely headed towards a catastrophe if we don’t alter to greener alternatives. Save Globe is one such initiative that facilitates the use of more biodegradable, greener alternatives to Plastics.
Save Globe – “Say No To Plastic”
In 2011, Suhasan and Harika started their “Say no to plastic” mission to raise awareness against plastic pollution and enrich the sustainability of our planet in a holistic approach, leading to the birth of SAVE GLOBE, a brand executed to bring awareness against the usage of plastic by manufacturing eco-friendly, biodegradable and sustainable products which don’t harm the planet.
Suhas, CEO, Saveglobe.in says,
We know there are huge plastic islands floating in the Pacific ocean and the innocent animals are suffering only for the human’s negligence and this is high time, we may not even get a chance to survive if we don’t react now. So understanding the consequences of plastic, we thought to come up with something that instigates people to adopt the earth-friendly lifestyle, safe and sustainable solutions, in 2011 with SAVE GLOBE, catering its products across the world.
What makes SAVE GLOBE products unique?
SAVE GLOBE products are curated with the concept of going back to the roots, with the raw materials being the byproducts of a resource, using ancient techniques of sustainable living to make green, eco-friendly products. The core materials Save Globe works around are-
Rice Husk – The covers of the rice grains are dried and the rice husk is used to make pillows and mattresses which was initially used by Indians to reduce neck and shoulder pain.
Coir – The dried coconut cover is used to make utensil scrubbers and plant cultivation pots because of its sturdy nature and high permeability respectively.
Plant fibre wastes, Cotton, Jute, and Canvas -As an alternative to plastic, these materials are used to create tote bags, laptop bags, insulating water bags, handbags, etc
Bamboo, Wood and Clay – These are a perfect alternative to ceramic and plastic, making them ideal raw materials to make biodegradable vessels and tableware.
The indigenous materials and the methods used by Save Globe date way back, back before the commercial industry was hit by the evolution of Plastics. These sustainable techniques of designing are used to craft eco-friendly, unique, creatively designed, high on utility and aesthetic products in the same price range as its commercial competitors.
One of the major challenges is to find the balance between sustainability and commercial viability, and Suhasan answers how he manages to strike the perfect balance-
As our raw materials come from renewable sources, the cost remains on the higher side. But we try to keep most of our raw materials as a byproduct of a resource so that the cost of raw materials remains low like rice husk and coconut coir.
Production and operating costs are high at this point of time as our major sales are limited to urban areas where people are aware of the danger plastic causes to the environment, but we are targeting more pockets because if the sales increases, production cost, and operating costs reduces subsequently, Therefore reducing the prices further.
Currently operating at 1 crore turnover and planning to expand aggressively in retail with its unique range of Green Products, SAVE GLOBE has come a long way through the years, with 10 full-time employees, operating from 2000 sq ft manufacturing space expecting to be live in at least 100 offline and online branded stores.
SAVE GLOBE aims to expand its business, both horizontally and vertically by increasing its product range and to reach more people by having its presence in online and offline stores and also in multi-branded stores.
Curated by a building expert from Wienerberger India
