It is something that most of us think about but seldom take action — the use of plastic bags to dispose of garbage. If you are someone bothered by this menace, here are some solutions.
Management consultant Arun and his wife Jyothi were unhappy with plastic garbage bags. “We felt that it was terrible for the environment. We began to look for eco-friendly solutions and discovered that not many existed in the past. That is when we began using paper bags fashioned from old newspapers. We faced some issues since the paper bags made from newspapers were not sturdy enough. We also faced difficulties in getting the shape of the bag right. We took some time but managed to create a paper garbage bag that was sturdy, and shaped like a regular garbage bag. These new bags received praise from friends and family and resulted in GreenBUG, a business venture that manufactures garbage bags from paper.
Arun says, “We initially wanted to make it a social enterprise. We began by manufacturing these bags in a small village in Andhra Pradesh, in an attempt to help the community. However, that did not work because of logistics and we moved operations to Bengaluru. We tied up with an NGO and started manufacturing paper garbage bags here.”
“Making a paper garbage bag is an easy task. The process is simple, and we ensure that a series of checks are put in place. The stencil helps in making folds and creating the space for the jute strings. We use multiple layers of newspapers so that it does not get wet or soggy. The stencil is the most important tool. The bags are priced from ₹ 5 per piece and sold at select stores across the city. We sell almost 10,000 bags a month and the numbers have seen a steady increase over the past few months.”
Eco Pro garbage bags claim to be to completely recyclable, compostable and biodegradable. The bags claim to use a unique enzyme-based biodegradation technology from enzymoplast, which has the ability to convert plastic quickly and safely into carbon dioxide, biomass and water. The formulation of the bacteria enzyme uses ingredients drawn only from natural resources and medicinal plants to make the process completely non-hazardous and non-toxic. The Eco Pro garbage bags also claim to use EN13432 certified enzyme-based biodegradable technology.
Where we offer earth friendly alternatives for everyday products
