[Startup Bharat] Rourkela-based Greenhive is offering sustainable, plastic-free alternatives for daily use items

Growing concerns related to increasing plastic pollution in India are no longer news. According to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry, India consumes 16.5 million tonnes of plastic and generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

There is an urgent need to switch to non-harmful alternatives to ensure a better environment and future. And Rourkela-based ecommerce startup Greenhive Essentialsis doing its own bit to make the earth a better place to live in.

Founded in 2020 by childhood friends Abhishek Deo and Gourav Sarangi, Greenhive sells eco-friendly and sustainable daily use products. The duo launched Greenhive with an initial investment of Rs 60,000 raised from their family and friends.

“Our mission is to offer sustainable and plastic-free alternatives for commonly used items. We aim to cater to the consumer-driven society with sustainable alternatives and make this planet a better place to live in,” Abhishek tells YourStory Media.

The duo is currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in Odisha. Greenhive is mentored by Arijit Mazumdar, Founder and CEO of Northmist.

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House of green things

Greenhive partners with local manufacturers to procure sustainable products such as bamboo toothbrushes, steel straws, eco-friendly shopping bags, and pure copper tongue cleaners. 

“We mostly sell through our own website and Instagram DMs. We also conduct events across our city to promote sustainable products in society. We conduct events regularly to improve awareness of our brand and help solve the plastic waste problem,” Abhishek says.

The co-founder revealed that the idea of starting Greenhive originated amid the COVID-19-led lockdown last year. He noticed that while humans had a tough time staying shut indoors due to the pandemic, nature took that time to heal itself. They realised that post-pandemic, things would again go downhill if proper steps were not taken to conserve nature. This thought led them to launch Greenhive.

Abhishek explains that Greenhive was launched in Rourkela, their hometown, with an aim to help and encourage people from his city to switch to sustainable alternatives.

“We have also distributed our products to various environmentalists and social workers, and partnered with NGOs to conduct various events for promoting sustainable development in our society. We have also partnered for a gifting event with Television Cricket League (TCL), which sees participation from Kannada actors,” he adds.

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Business and more

The bootstrapped startup claims to record transactions worth Rs 30,000-40,000 per month and claims to have 1,500 customers.

“We are targeting a revenue of Rs 1 lakh per month for the upcoming financial year,” Abhishek says.

According to the co-founder, Greenhive competes with other notable players such as Rusabl, Bamboo India, and Bare Necessities. But, Abhishek believes that Greenhive’s USP is that the products are available at an affordable price range compared to the competitors.

Greenhive’s bamboo toothbrush and copper tongue cleaner are available for Rs 55. The steel straw is priced at Rs 40 and the eco-friendly bag is available for Rs 220.

Speaking about future plans, Abhishek says, “We plan to expand our market in nearby cities such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jharsuguda, and Sambalpur among others. We also plan to introduce new products and are looking to raise external funding by July 2021.”