This article has been contributed by Prakhar Gupta, Lead of ESG Initiatives at InCorp.
The shift towards sustainability as a concept has gradually evolved past corporate duty; it is turning into an essential requirement for businesses, particularly startups looking to make their mark in the global corporate landscape. Today’s investors, employees, and consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental effects of businesses. Startups, known for their innovation, adaptability, and flexibility, have a great opportunity to integrate sustainable practices from the outset, ensuring lasting success in an environment-conscious world.
India’s Roadmap to a Net-Zero Economy
India is poised to play a critical role in the global effort to combat climate change. With a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, the country has great potential to be at the forefront of balancing rapid economic growth with sustainable development. As we have seen with many other economies, setting an emissions target acts as a catalyst for consumers and businesses to work towards adopting sustainable practices. However, despite this goal, there is a long journey, particularly in reducing carbon emissions across key sectors.
As of 2021, India contributed about 7% of global CO2 emissions from combustible fuels, making it the 3rd largest CO2 emitter behind China and the USA. The energy sector alone accounts for about half of these emissions, while transportation, agriculture, and industrial processes are significant contributors.
India surpassed its 2030 climate goals 9 years in advance, with plans to invest $35 billion annually into advanced renewable energy technologies alone. Considering the track record so far, this sum does not seem to be a distant goal.
Moreover, the numbers speak for themselves and show that the country is looking to become a sustainable economy in the coming decades. Sustainability-focussed startups can take advantage of the relatively favourable policy structure supporting Indigenous sustainable development.
Importance: Sustainable Practices for Long-Term Success
Consumers Who Are Very Concerned About Environmental Sustainability
Adopting and following sustainable business practices is not just to abide by regulatory sanctions or tap into an eco-conscious customer base, it also displays the long-term vision that business decision-makers have in mind.
Companies that harm the environment by creating waste or emitting copious amounts of carbon are now seeing themselves imposed with restrictions or fines. Moreover, 9 in 10 millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services – a radical shift from just two decades ago.
Moreover, to add to an already growing environmentally conscious customer base, such penalties directly or indirectly affect the balance sheets and EBITDA margins of businesses that haven’t taken steps to minimize environmental impact, hindering long-term growth. Below are some companies that are embracing change and leading the way in sustainable business practices.
Founded in 2013, Ather Energy is one of the most prominent players in India’s electric vehicle (EV) market, specializing in two-wheeler mobility. It also boasts an impressive charging infrastructure, with India’s largest two-wheeler EV fast-charging network.
Ather Energy has also announced that it is working on reducing its reliance on rare-earth metals, an initiative which will reduce its mining impact and Scope 3 emissions in the supply chain. Moreover, the company is adding to its renewable energy generation capacity, with 13% of current manufacturing energy requirements being met by solar panels. The company has also adhered to implementing the ISO 4001 environmental management system for continuous optimization.
BluSmart
BluSmart is India’s first all-electric ride-sharing service provider, tapping into a customer base looking for an eco-friendly alternative to traditional rideshare platforms like Uber and Ola. In doing so, BluSmart eliminates its Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from the vehicles) and creates a positive impact on urban Air Quality Index (AQI).
In major Indian cities like Mumbai and Delhi, where a higher percentage of eco-aware consumers are located, and air pollution is becoming challenging to manage by the day, BluSmart’s model is helping consumers make cleaner transportation choices.
Zypp Electric
The rapid rise in e-commerce and food/grocery delivery platforms in India has led to a surge in last-mile deliveries, typically fulfilled using vehicles powered by CNG, petrol, or diesel. This is where Zypp Electric comes in – it aims to reduce the environmental impact of the logistics sector by using electric scooters to transport goods to the end consumer.
Its clientele includes food delivery and e-commerce giants like Flipkart and BigBasket, significantly reducing their Scope 1 emissions. As more businesses look to reduce their environmental impact, Zypp Electric is well-positioned to cater to growing demands.
Just Organik
Organic farming has been practiced in India since ancient times, but rapid industrialization and the use of chemicals like pesticides and insecticides have reduced water quality and soil fertility. Just Organik encourages organic farming practices across India, promoting processes to follow sustainable agriculture methods and reducing the overall upstream and downstream environmental impact of food production.
Even though India is moving towards an increasingly manufacturing and service-based economy, it is hard to ignore the social and strategic value of having agricultural self-sufficiency. By working directly with farmers, Just Organik helps ensure that more agricultural practices are aligned with maintaining the long-term quality of natural resources, thereby reducing Scope 3 emissions related to the food supply chain.
The Path Forward
‘Sustainability’ is not just a buzzword – it is now necessary for businesses that want to ensure long-term success and thrive. The startups highlighted in this blog are a few of many of the companies that are leading the fight against climate change. This is done by integrating sustainable practices into operations or helping customers and clients reduce their environmental impact.
As India moves towards a net-zero economy, the future belongs to startups of today that are willing to adapt, innovate, and contribute to a cleaner and greener world. Sustainability is not just the right choice – it is one of the deciding factors for long-term success!
The Middle East or the Gulf region has been basking on the oil-rich economy for ages. Since the discovery of oil (around 1908) in the region, the entire province has gone rags to riches. This development did not happen over the night as the first motor vehicles didn’t roll off the assembly line until 1908. There was a dearth of vehicles on the highway. Many ships and power stations used coal. The Middle East’s transportation, water, and sewage infrastructure were severely lacking or nonexistent in 1945. Many roads were barely dirt trails, and there were no deep sea ports for ships to offload their cargo. Many Middle Eastern nations were able to afford better infrastructure thanks to the rising demand for oil. Because of hundreds of engineering projects that were completed in the 1950s and 1960s, entire populations’ lives were changed. This was reminiscent of the work done in the 19th century by British engineers known as the Victorians. But things are changing again now that everyone is aware that the globe will quickly reach day zero if oil consumption continues at its current rate. The whole globe is on the lookout for long-term alternatives to oil in order to fight this trend. The Middle Eastern countries are likewise racing to be the first to achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly economy.
The oil and gas industry is seeking cleantech innovations to help them transition to the energy of the future, as governments around the world are aiming for reduced carbon emissions and a larger share of renewables in their energy mix. According to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an organization that works to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for all of its 190 member countries, It seems like major economies are dead set on finding alternatives to fossil fuels, and in response, major automakers have pledged to switch from gas-powered to electric vehicles in the not-too-distant future. An unstable adjustment may be in store for oil-dependent economies as a result of this change, which will bring the oil market in line with climate goals but may have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond their boundaries.
Mordor Intelligence projects a renewable energy industry in the Middle East with a yearly growth of 13.43% from 2023–2028. The use of more renewable energy sources is the goal of multiple government programmes. One example is the goal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have half of its energy come from renewable sources by the year 2050.
Where the Black Gold Flows: Top 10 Oil-Rich Countries
MENA Region All Up For Energy Storage Race
The magnitude of the energy revolution necessitates massive quantities of raw materials such as copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, and others. Electric cars, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and other vital technologies that are reducing our reliance on fossil fuels need materials extracted from the Earth’s core.
Worldwide, nations are grappling with the issue of the supply of essential resources for the energy transition being woefully inadequate in comparison to the expected demand. The World Bank’s Climate-Smart Mining team predicts that the demand for lithium, cobalt, and graphite will climb by 500%, while the demand for nickel and copper will increase by 100% and 7%, respectively.
The energy system transformation is a worldwide undertaking. Substantially important materials for decarbonisation will come from Africa. Whatever the case may be, interest in potential new mining sites is on the rise due to the global quest for zero pollution.
Starting in western France and continuing eastward through the Middle East and “Daylighting” in Malaysia, the Tethyan mineral belt spans two continents and 33 nations, providing a geological basis. The area is rich in base metals. Regardless, a lot of it has been under-investigated thus far, which makes it perfect for discovering anything new.
According to Quayle Resources’ MD Darryn Quayle, “The Belt” is a mostly uncharted region of the earth, in contrast to mining zones in Africa and the Rockies. Our research, however, points to the existence of substantial underground reserves of energy transition essentials like copper and lithium.
Leading Oil-Producing Countries Worldwide
The Domestic Impact Of The Climate Catastrophe Is Substantial
As reported by Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, keeping oil exports going will bring substantial money for the region, but it might endanger its very survival. Rising global temperatures are an inevitable consequence of other nations’ continued use of fossil fuels sourced by Saudi Arabia and its neighbours. Particularly hard hit will be the Gulf region.
Assuming a 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) increase on a worldwide scale by 2050, the Gulf region could see a 4 °C increase. Already, the area has experienced heat waves with temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, and the average temperatures are significantly higher than the global average.
In certain climate change scenarios, the Gulf’s average summer maximum temperatures will surpass what is considered survivable. Dust storms will become more intense as a result of planetary heating, and low-lying regions may be impacted by higher sea levels.
You should know that the money tap will be turned off eventually. There are plans to develop new sources of income because the International Monetary Fund has warned that the region’s treasuries would be emptied in fifteen years due to falling oil demand.
The Saudi government is putting its money into green hydrogen production and, in tandem with the United Arab Emirates, is establishing a renewable energy industry to produce commodities like aluminium. Less environmentally friendly, it is also beginning to produce plastic and petrochemicals using its hydrocarbons.
There has been a lot of talk about the enormous economic potential of exporting solar power. Solar panels installed on one square metre of land in a Gulf country might replace 1.1 barrels of oil in annual energy production.
What is the Tethyan mineral belt, and how is it relevant?
This belt stretches from western France to Southeast Asia and is rich in base metals.
It’s a largely unexplored region with potential for new discoveries of minerals needed for the energy transition.
What are the challenges of the energy transition for the Middle East?
The region faces extreme heat and water scarcity, which could be exacerbated by climate change.
A rapid shift away from oil could cause economic instability.
Why is the Middle East looking to move away from oil?
The global push for reduced carbon emissions and a shift towards renewable energy sources is putting pressure on the Middle East to diversify its economy.
Declining demand for oil due to the rise of electric vehicles and alternative energy sources could lead to financial difficulties for oil-dependent economies.
The article is contributed by Ms. Stuti Kothari and Mr Ankit Kothari, Co- founders, WishCare.
In this digital age, one of the most important aspects of growing your business is your eCommerce and D2C strategy. As much as choosing the right business approach is important; crafting the appropriate marketing strategies is equally essential. Successful marketing is a constantly moving, shifting, and changing machine. It should evolve with the changing dynamics of the industry and ecosystem.
The personal care market occupies a fair share in the booming D2C segment in India. One of the notable names in the sector is WishCare, an environmental-friendly and vegan brand built on the core principle of a sustainable tomorrow. Conceptualized in 2018, the brand has grown exponentially ever since then. Successfully completing and dispatching over 2000 products every day, they have a customer base of over a million now. Behind this successful D2C personal care brand lies the strong and effective marketing strategy based on community building and creating a customer feedback loop.
Co-Creating with Community
Co-creating with the community is the first step of launching any new product for WishCare which is based on extensive market research and community feedback, while ensuring that it is a hit amongst its existing consumers.
Although collecting customer feedback is standard practice, WishCare has stepped it up by innovating its product based on the collected feedback. Based on community suggestions, WishCare identifies the gaps and needs in the market, then their internal research team develops the product. The community also helps with sampling which allows the brand to leverage its feedback loop for research and development purposes. In fact, WishCare developed its Vitamin C+ Pure Glow Serum in complete collaboration with its community.
3C Sustainable Approach
The brand’s 3C approach – Clean (using products that are safe and natural and not harmful either to the humans or to the environment), Conscious (the brand undertakes conscious packaging. It uses packaging material that has either been recycled or can be recycled) and Caring (the brand academically adopts and educates underprivileged girl children) is its core philosophy based on the sustainability vision and this model resonates well with its customer base as well. Hence, every strategy that the brand devises, whether business-oriented or marketing focused centers around this 3C practice.
The brand has banned a list of 100 + ingredients which are chemicals and toxic substances from using it in the production of their products. Furthermore, the brand also identifies itself as a vegan and cruelty-free brand due to its clean approach that promotes using natural ingredients. This is what the brand promises to its customers and it is this ideology that has helped WishCare earn the trust of its customers.
WishCare even boasts of a strong customer care team. Contrary to what anyone would believe, this customer service team is not restricted to customer care executives. In fact, skincare and haircare experts are present to connect with the customers and have one-on-one conversations. Every time, the brand launches a new product, these experts are right there to resolve the customers’ queries. This has helped the brand to create a feedback loop wherein they have been able to persuade the customers to continue their loyalty towards the brand by using the products.
Product development based on community feedback – This team also helps us in identifying gaps in the current market and then the brand transforms it into the next product that could be launched in the market. This approach has helped the brand foster well-knit connections with the customers and also build long-lasting relationships with them.
Conclusion
These three strategies of creating the community feedback loop, adopting the 3C approach, and building a customer-first team have been the brand’s main pillar of success over the past 3 years since it has forayed into the personal care market that is highly fragmented and largely unorganized!
Jute bags are used for shopping purposes. Our environment today is polluted to an extreme level. Nowadays, printed jute bags are used for shopping purposes too. Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre. It is also popularly known as Golden fibre. Currently, it is one of the strongest all-natural fibres available throughout the globe. Jute fibre is reusable and biodegradable. Starting a jute bag-making business is a great decision to start. It is also a profitable business because the usage of jute bags has excessively increased over the last year. People nowadays carry these bags as a style trend.
There are several different types of bags that are very popular in the market. A recent study has shown that the general public has become very bored with carrying leather bags. The jute bag-making process is simple. Any individual can start this business even from home. Furthermore, this is a great opportunity for women, housewives, and mothers too. In this article, we will discuss how to start a jute bag-making business.
Before starting and making a jute bag business plan, you should know the different types of Jute bags you can manufacture. There are numerous types of jute bags you can find in the market. According to lamination or lining, there are three different types of bags.
Jute bags are versatile and can be used as gift bags
These bags are used as shopping bags all over the world
It is used for transferring products from one place to another
Identify the Demand of Jute Bags
Global Jute Bag Market
Jute has properties like low thermal conductivity, remarkable insulation, and moderate moisture retention. So Jute bags are strong enough to pack bulk goods. The growing environmental concerns have also increased the customer’s inclination toward natural and biodegradable products like jute bags.
As per industry estimates, India has exported millions of jute bags mainly to Europe. The production of this item which is mainly in the micro and small enterprises has picked up substantially in the last few years. There is a big scope globally for Indian jute shopping bags as an alternative to plastic bags. India holds the majority of shares representing the leading producer of jute bags. Additionally, the benefits offered by jute bags such as their biodegradability, durability, low cost, high strength, etc. have supported the market growth.
According to a survey, the jute bag market value had touched $ 1.9 Billion in the year 2020. Jute bags recorded an 11.5% CAGR from 2011 to 2018. The global jute bag market size reached $ 2.3 Billion in 2021. The market is expected to reach $ 3.3 Billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.4 % from 2022 to 2027.
Jute Bags Business Planning
When you start any business there are various things you need to consider. Whether you are in the beginning stages of starting your own business or planning on taking it to the next level, you will need a clear and informative business plan. You need to ask yourself, Where do I want it to go? What will my business look like? A business plan will provide readers with all types of information they need to understand your business’s purpose and capabilities. You have to be willing to add, edit, or even remove certain portions of your business plan when new information becomes available.
Choosing Location of Your Business
Choosing a business location is all about setting your business for success. You need to put careful thought into where you want to establish your Jute bag business.
Some tips for choosing a good location:
Before you start looking for a business location you need to create a business budget for your expenditure.
Before you buy or rent a building, check out the surrounding neighbourhood.
Part of your business location strategy should be based on the amount of competition in the area.
Consider the potential growth of your company when choosing a location for the business.
Consider how easy it is for customers to reach the Jute business location.
Before you purchase a location for business, find out how it is zoned.
Register Your Jute Bag Making Business
For a very small startup, you can look for a proprietorship company. However, you may also go with the partnership, LLC, or INC companies according to your business size and investment model. Generally, this type of business plan doesn’t demand any specific licenses from the Government authorities. In India, National Centre for Jute Diversification (NCJD) and Jute Manufacturers Development Council (JMDC) offer training on jute bag making.
Steps Involved in Jute Bags Making
The process of manufacturing jute bags is very simple and does not require the use of heavy machines. Below are the steps involved in jute bag making:
Buy woven jute fabric rolls from wholesalers or directly from manufacturers.
Laminate the jute rolls. Jute bags can be sold with lamination or without lamination.
Spread the jute fabric roll on a table and fix it.
Cut the jute rolls to the required size and shape.
Print the designs, logos, or text on the jute roll pieces.
Wash and dry the printed jute fabric pieces.
Stitch the cut pieces of jute roll using a heavy-duty sewing machine.
Attach the handles, buckles, zips, etc.
Pack the jute bags for marketing.
Raw Materials Used in Jute Bag Making
India and Bangladesh are the top producers of jute fibre. In India, West Bengal accounts for 50% of the country’s total jute produce. So, source your raw materials from reasonable and genuine jute mills.
The raw materials used in jute bag making are:
Jute fabric
Dyes
Printing gum
Sewing thread (preferably nylon)
Chemicals and auxiliaries
Handles
PVC buckles
Packing materials
Labels
Types of Machinery for Jute Bag Making Business
Jute bag manufacturing does not require high-end technology machinery. It all depends on the scale and type of bags. To make a printed jute bag, the following machinery is required.
Working table
Lamination machine
Printing Table
Screen printing machine
Dye Paste Stirrer
Water Drum, tubes, mugs, clips, etc.
Cottage Steamer
Electric Fittings
Scissors and measuring tape
Cutting machine
Heavy-duty Sewing machine
Regular sewing machine
Nylon thread
Lockstitch Machines
Side Sealing Machine
Marketing Strategies of Jute Bag Business
Marketing strategies are the processes by which companies create customer interest in goods or services. Marketing draws out the hidden wants of customers and creates new demand. It enlarges the market and enables the producers to increase production and earn more profits. Because of marketing so many other activities such as banking, transport, insurance warehousing, etc. get a boost as they are needed more help in the marketing process.
Some techniques of marketing Jute Bag Business:
Word of mouth
Comprehensive website
Social marketing
Direct marketing
Major festivals
Online shopping sites
NGO tie-ups
Local tie-ups
Corporate gifts
Conferences and seminars
Conclusion
Starting any kind of business needs patience and hard work. Getting into the business of making jute boxes is not something different. With people being conscious about the environment, and inclining toward jute bags, the market has experienced definite growth. So, it is clear that the market for jute bags will keep rising in the future as well.
FAQs
What raw materials are needed for making jute bags?
The raw materials needed for making jute bags are:
Jute fabric
Dyes
Printing gum
Sewing thread (preferably nylon)
Chemicals and auxiliaries
Handles
PVC buckles
Packing materials
Labels
Which country is the top exporter of jute bags?
India is the top exporter country of jute bags.
What products are made from jute?
The major manufactured products from jute fibre are:
Yarn and Twine
Bags
Sacking
Hessian
Carpet Backing Cloth
Textile Blends
Which are the top Jute producing countries in the world?
India and Bangladesh are the top Jute producing countries in the world.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved byMiemaw.
India, with its population of 1.38 billion, generates humongous quantities of waste every day; this waste if left untreated, would create chaos in nature as depicted in the award-winning movie—Wall-E. However, there’s no need to be apprehensive of the future if one acts appropriately in the present. Helping us take the right step ahead is a Surat-based startup, Miemaw. Miemaw is a tech-based startup that helps municipal corporationsinwaste segregation through cost-effective strategies.
Every year a huge amount of money is spent by municipal authorities for segregating waste. Solid waste segregation machines cost millions but are still unable to achieve 100% efficiency. Uncouth businesses intend to burn this waste for electricity production using government subsidies. Environmentalists opine this isn’t viable, given the Indian atmospheric conditions—they fear toxic emissions from the mass incineration. All in all, the waste segregation and management segment is in disarray and Miemaw wants to set it right.
The vision behind launching Miemaw was to protect the environment by helping municipal corporations collect segregated waste at negligible costs. The Miemaw mobile app can monitor the waste segregation process through a single QR code scan, thus saving municipal corporations vital cash.
Miemaw app is available for the general public as well as the municipal authorities. In the Miemaw App for Residents (User Application), users can register themselves and generate a unique QR code that assists the Municipal Corporations to keep track of the user. The app keeps the user updated with the latest activities and initiatives from the authorities through SMS.
Miemaw App for municipalities (Admin Application) lets them keep a record of the users (who enroll through the ‘User Application’). A server setup that is linked to the Admin Application allows authorities to monitor waste management at an area level. Using the Miemaw app, municipal corporations can impose hefty fines using the QR code.
In addition to the app, Miemaw also develops waste management software for municipalities to assist them in collecting segregated waste straight from the source with an impressive 90% success rate.
Some of the USPs of Miemaw’s are:
Tracking of waste segregation: Municipal corporations can track each area on a daily basis to identify whether residents of that area segregated their wastes. Residents in turn can monitor their penalty records.
Training: Miemaw delivers several awareness campaigns, door-to-door visits, and training courses to individuals on how to segregate waste and understand terminologies such as dry and wet waste.
Friendly support: One or two members from the Miemaw service department constantly assist the individuals from municipal corporations in collecting waste.
Miemaw is currently operational in Eklera village near Surat, Gujrat(India); the startup has also begun its operations in the main city of Surat recently.
Miemaw – Industry Details
Waste segregation has gained prominence only a few years ago. It received a push through the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative launched by the government of India. By 2025, India’s waste management sector is expected to be worth the US $13.62 billion with an annual growth rate of 7.17 %. The team at Miemaw wants to be a part of this growth story with the help of Miemaw app. With the app, municipal authorities are guaranteed to work efficiently, securely and effortlessly.
By the end of 2024, we see our Miemaw industry providing services to all the cities and villages of west of India.
The mother-daughter duo of Sweta Kesur and Kokila Kesur founded Miemaw tech startup in 2016. They have been working coherently to generate results in the domain of waste segregation.
Sweta Kesur, Founder & CEO
Sweta Kesur is the founder and CEO of Miemaw. She is an IT graduate from the Institute of Technology, Nirma University in June 2016. She is recognized for creating a brain tumour detection software which is used by Dr Tanvi from the Civil Hospital of Surat; she presented a research paper at an international conference held in Las Vegas from Dec 17-18, 2014, and won a certificate of honor. Sweta has also been felicitated with the Social Entrepreneur of the year 2019 award.
Kokila Kesur is the co-founder and COO of Miemaw. She is a retired school principal and has an extraordinary 35 years of experience in social entrepreneurship. She is the main inspiration behind this venture. Kokila has played an important role in the promotion of women empowerment and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in the rural areas.
The core belief of our team is the commitment to make the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan successful. We want to deliver the message to India that, how by taking small steps like segregating waste into dry and wet from our house we can create a huge impact in contribution towards the Clean India mission and development of our country
How Miemaw Was Started?
Miemaw was a response in 2016 to the failed attempts at collection of segregated waste (dry and wet waste) from the source of waste generation—households and commercial places. Sweta conceived the idea of Miemaw during her two months stay in the USA for a summer internship. Motivated by the highly organized waste management system in the USA, she wanted to start a similar system back home in India.
The seed to all this began in June 2015 when I and my Mom went to the USA for completing my undergraduate summer internship in New York. We stayed in Queens, New York as any other US resident, which made us learn the lifestyle of US residents. Since childhood, my Mom trained me to keep the surroundings very clean. So when we were living in the US, they had certain rules for Waste Management, like the garbage collector would collect segregated waste every 2 days. Meaning we have to throw wet waste into one large size black garbage polythene and dry waste into others. We were inspired by this and decided to follow this practice in India also. This made me think that, if we can follow this practice of segregating waste in the US then why can’t we do this in India – Sweta narrates
After returning to India, Sweta got busy with her college schedule but did not discard the idea. After graduation, Sweta and Kokila Kesur started working on the ideation, designing and prototyping phases. They knew that executing their idea was not possible without external support. So, Sweta started writing applications detailing her plans to the PMO. It took 23 online applications and 56-speed post applications until she received her first response on the 19th of July 2017.
I have started my application in May 2017 and I regularly sent one application online through “Interact with PM” portal and continued till July 2017. Apart from the online application, I sent application (consisting of a letter, project portfolio and short bio of myself in a cover made by me) through India speed post regularly on alternate days of the week. I carried out this speed post-task from May 2017 till Aug 2017
Though she received assurances of her concerns identified and prompt actions being taken, there were no results in reality. This compelled Sweta to take action on her own.
Sweta and Kokila Kesur started their work from Eklera, a village near Surat. The endgame was to make this village clean by educating the residents on how to segregate waste into dry and wet categories. For this target, they carried out several door-to-door visits, wall painting on Eklera gram panchayat office to their idea, movie-screenings, and several awareness campaigns for the same. The incorporation of their waste management software brought tremendous changes; the duo got a great response from the village council, and neighbouring villages were inspired by the work done by Eklera. Since then, Sweta and Kokila have received several awards from the Government of Gujarat, Surat Municipal corporation, and the village council. Seeing the results, they have received the go-ahead to implement their venture in the city of Surat. By end of 2019, they aim to provide their services in Surat and its surrounding areas.
I am really happy to announce that my project got successfully implemented on Eklera Village near Surat and all villagers are more than happy after the implementation of my project.
Their project was recognized and appreciated by the Prime Minister’s Office of India recently.
Miemaw – Name, Tagline, and Logo
Miemaw derives its name from the phrase ‘me and mommy’. Sweta adds, “Meemaw is another way of addressing a grandmother”.
Miemaw’s product revolves around QR code scan and the company has a matching tagline: ‘Mie (me) & Mawmie’s (Mommy) Quick Response Code for Waste Segregation.
Miemaw Logo
One of the core values of our company is women empowerment. We all know that the manager of any house is either Grandma, Mother or Daughter. Women are the majority one, when comes to handling waste management of the house. The success behind proper waste segregation from the household is in the quick response of mom’s from every house.
Miemaw – Business Model and Revenue Model
Miemaw charges a one-year subscription plan from the authorities such as the village council for using its products and services. It also derives margins through commission from municipalities with respect to the penalty amount charged on individuals for not segregating waste.
Our strategy is to compel people for waste segregation and the percentage of success that we receive in completing our task is the growth of our business.
Miemaw – Startup Challenges
Asking people to do something for the environment through waste segregation is easier said than done. There’s no dearth of volatile personalities falling on a broad behaviour spectrum. Not everyone is eager to spare some time for such initiatives. Naturally, it was a tough task for Miemaw to have people on board it’s initiative.
Though everyone was actively participating in our campaigns, at the implementation level there barely any change. It took us around 2.5 years to make people adapt this technique. We overcame this challenge by consistent effort in spreading awareness related to health and hygiene issues arising out of not segregated waste.
Initially, the startup relied on an incentive-based approach to bring a shift in the behaviour of the public. The incentive emphasized providing points to people conforming to waste segregation guidelines which could be redeemed at the local grocery stores. However, the strategy wasn’t that successful. Thereon, Miemaw adopted a penalty-based approach which finally worked.
The venture also struggled in securing its initial funding as the process involved getting permission from different authorities. But when the village council saw the outcome of Miemaw’s work it immediately approved Miemaw’s project and provided the necessary funds in 2018. After this, Miemaw received approval from other municipal corporations and gained the required funds.
Miemaw collected an undisclosed amount of seed funding in September 2018.
Date
Stage
Amount
Investor
September 2018
Seed
Undisclosed
Head of the Village Council
Miemaw – Advisers and Mentors
Miemaw has been recently selected for the prestigious Goldman Sachs10,000Women Growth Fellowship that will take place in New York City in Fall 2019. Prior to receiving this prestigious fellowship opportunity, the Miemaw team went through ten weeks of training meant for the business growth plans of small scale setups. This Goldman Sachs sponsored program comprises customized training, coaching, and advice. The program invitees will be a part of several sessions with industry leaders and experts.
Some of the instructors of this fellowship are:
Edward David: He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford, where he works on the curriculum development for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses fellowship. Since joining Oxford Saïd in 2013, Edward has helped design and manage a range of corporate-sponsored programmes for entrepreneurs and MBA students. These include the Power Shift Forum, Inspiring Women in Leadership and Learning, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Fellowship. Edward has also worked for state education reform in Washington DC and continues to serve students as a tutor at Trinity College, Oxford. Edward holds qualifications from New York University and the University of Oxford.
Anne Donnellon is Professor Emerita of Management at the Babson College in Wellesley (Massachusetts) where she has served as the Faculty Director for Babson’s Fast Track MBA for executives. Currently, Dr. Donnellon is a member of the National Curriculum Design and Site Launch Team for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, serving as Launch Faculty for the Houston, Cleveland, Miami, and Baltimore sites. She teaches leadership, negotiation, and organizational change in the MBA and executive education programs there. She is the author of ‘Team Talk: The Power of Language in Team Dynamics’, published by Harvard Business School Press, and has also developed two books in the Harvard Manage Mentor series: ‘Keeping Teams on Target’ and ‘Leading Teams’. She has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and teaching cases. Dr. Donnellon has taught in numerous executive education programs in and out of the United States and has been a consultant to reputed organizations. Lately, she has been working with several small entrepreneurial firms and led management development seminars for entrepreneurs through the Small Business Association of New England, the Center for Women and Enterprise, ICIC, the International Fund for Ireland, and Invest Northern Ireland.
Miemaw – Awards
Young Entrepreneur of the year award 2019
Sweta and Kokila, the founders of Miemaw company, have been selected to attend the prestigious 10,000 Women Growth Fellowship program sponsored by Goldman Sachs. Fellowship will take place in New York City in Fall 2019.
Miemaw received the City Award from Nirav Shah, the Deputy Mayor of Surat, for coming up with an innovative idea for the Swachh Bharat Mission on 8th July 2019.
On 1st June 2019, Miemaw was awarded by Rasmika Ben Patel the Chairperson of Surat Municipal Corporation. She has decided to support the venture as well.
In April 2019, Sweta received the Social Entrepreneur Award from the Head of the village council (Local Govt. of India) for providing Miemaw’s services in 2018 to Eklera village.
In July 2017, the concept of Miemaw was appreciated and accepted by the Prime Minister Office(PMO) of India.
Sweta has visited Goldman Sachs NY for business growth planning on a sponsored trip by Goldman Sachs
Miemaw’s notable clients include several village councils and municipal corporations. It is currently working to make its services available to every place in and around Surat and help corporations achieve the goal of Clean City and Smart City by the end of 2019. By the end of 2020, Miemaw plans to have two more cities of Gujarat (Ahmedabad and Vadodara) covered. In the coming years, Miemaw team wants to establish a presence in all the cities of western India. Miemaw is also aiming to introduce the facility of points redemption system that would allow people use points gained from waste segregation efforts in stores like D-Mart and Big Bazaar.
We at Miemaw are on a mission is to protect our environment from landfills or burning the garbage and help municipal corporations collect segregated waste from source at no cost compared to segregating waste through machine. We envision to become the most effective technology solution for collecting dry and wet waste from households and commercial units in the west of India.
FAQs
Who Founded Miemaw?
Miemaw was founded by Sweta Kesur and Kokila Kesur.
The growing population and the businesses have a positive impact on the economy in terms of GDP and other financial growth. But this development also has a diverse effect on the environment. The generation and improper disposal of wastes from these sectors are massive. Many governments are creating awareness on waste management in their country’s work culture. Yet it seems insufficient and the amount of waste we produce at work is extremely high.
According to the World Bank, at this rate of waste generation, global wastes could go up by 70 per cent by 2050. This organization urges immediate actions, otherwise, it could be a severe threat to humanity. “Proper management of wastes can reduce its impact”, say analysts. Hence, we as individuals and teams can start the initiative from our offices to regulate the usage and disposal of wastes. Here are some steps and ideas on how to reduce office waste:
Paper Wastes are ranked to be the largest waste that an office or a business generates. It has been identified that 50% of the office wastes turn out to be papers. Reports say that around 85 million tonnes of paper waste are created every year in America alone. The numbers are shocking. What can we do to reduce paper waste?
Start maintaining records digitally and practice online transfer of files through cloud or email wherever possible.
Any corrections or edits can be done before printing the documents.
Encourage using Laptops or Tablets for taking notes in meetings.
Use both sides of the paper and any misprinted papers can be used as scratch papers.
Going Paperless
Use Reusable Coffee Mugs
The disposable coffee cups form to be the second-largest waste generator in offices. Statistics show that around 16 billion coffee cups are being dumped around the world every year. Therefore the paper cups can be replaced with reusable mugs and glasses. Every employee can have their own coffee mugs or the office can provide them with reusable ones. Encouraging employees to use such long-lasting items and creating awareness to avoid taking coffee/tea in any disposable cups helps to drastically reduce office waste.
Avoid Bottled Water
Plastic water bottles wastes
Do you know that the number of plastic water bottles sold around the world in a year stands around half a trillion? You heard it right and the numbers are whopping high. Not even 20 per cent of the thrown water bottles are recycled. The rest of them are getting dumped in the ocean or in some landfill sites. What can be done to reduce this?
You can set up filtered drinking water stations throughout the office which reduces the need for your employees to buy bottled water. You can also provide your employees with reusable quality drinking water containers or bottles. This even becomes handy for them during work and can be refilled during their leisure.
Reducing Plastic Waste
Limit Paper Usage by Printing Smarter
We have earlier seen some alternates for the paper on possible occasions. But in certain cases or for certain companies, usage or printing of paper becomes unavoidable. For such cases, you can implement some smarter ways to minimize the wastages.
Margin settings can be adjusted as per need. Standard margins might occupy more spaces thus providing less area for the information. You can reduce it to preserve paper.
Print on both sides of the paper.
Print only if it is needed. You can encourage your employees to use the ‘Print Selection’ function to select only the required pages instead of printing the entire file.
Encourage Employees to bring Lunch from Home
Does bringing lunch from home reduce waste? Yes, it does because employees buying or ordering food daily generate waste in the form of food packages. Such a small creation of waste from each of us daily can pile up several tonnes of garbage every year. A simple initiative of taking lunch from home every day in reusable containers helps us in reducing office waste. Offices too can provide some basic facilities like an induction stove for heating foods and other essential plates and dishes for employees. This can be an encouraging step towards achieving the long-term goal of waste reduction.
Reuse Files, Folders, Parcel and Packing Materials
The use of files and folders can be made in a planned and organized way. Instead of taking a new file or folder every time for storing data, the existing ones can be labelled and renamed while replacing the contents. Some creative ideas can also be followed to make the reuse of files interesting. Limiting the throwing of files after single use reduces office waste to a great extent.
Reuse of parcels and packing materials can be another best way to minimize office waste. After taking the contents out, you can preserve the packing boxes or envelopes for future use to send parcels to your clients. This way the quantity of waste that gets out of the office can be brought down.
Work Closely with Vendors and Suppliers in Reducing Waste
Another way the waste gets generated in the office is through parcels or material sent by suppliers. The number of orders we place and the way of packing can be a major factor for the waste pile up. You can communicate with your suppliers regarding your goals on waste reduction and get the products delivered accordingly. Right from coffee powder or stationery for the office to raw materials for your manufacturing, purchasing in bulk could always reduce waste generation. Ask the suppliers to take back the packaging after delivery or provide recyclable pack-ups. You can also make this work with your clients and encourage them to follow suit.
If you’d like to find out more about commercial waste removal head over to WM Waste Management Services
Avoiding waste completely in offices may not be possible as every business is unique and has different requirements. One business may require a lot of printing or packing whereas the other has an option to avoid it. So the goal can always be to minimize waste generation to the maximum possible extent. These were the best 7 ideas on how to reduce office waste which you can implement in your premises and achieve success in waste reduction.
FAQs
What are the most common waste types in the office?
Common Office Wastes include:
Paper Waste
Food Waste
Food Packaging Waste
Parcel packing waste
Plastic Bottles
How can we reduce office waste?
Here are some simple ways to follow to reduce office waste:
Create a Paperless Work Environment
Use Reusable Coffee Mugs
Avoid Bottled Water
Limit Paper Usage by Printing Smarter
Encourage Employees to bring Lunch from Home
Reuse Files, Folders, Parcel and Packing Materials
Work Closely with Vendors and Suppliers in Reducing Waste
What is the best method of waste management?
Recycling is one of the best method of waste management.
Pratyusha Srivastava
