Sustainable startups that are creating a positive impact on the environment

World Environment Day is here, and this year it's being hosted by Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), in partnership with the Netherlands. This initiative, led by the United Nations Environment Program, began in 1979 with an aim to raise awareness about environmental issues.

As plastic waste accumulates around the world, threatening to impact the environment, people are slowly shifting to environmentally friendly products.

On World Environment Day, let us look at how sustainable startups in India are creating a positive impact on the environment with eco-friendly products.

Beco

Beco is a D2C startup that manufactures eco-friendly and sustainable products such as bags, tissue paper, reusable towels, and garbage bags. The Mumbai-based company, which was started in 2019, has gained immense popularity with celebrities such as Diya Mirza and Aamir Khan investing in it.

The founders Akshay Varma, Aditya Ruia, and Anuj Ruia aim to create products that are plastic-free and do not harm the environment. In the last three years, Beco says it has saved over 500 tonnes of plastic waste by adopting a sustainable production and packaging model.

MyONEarth

Nitika Sonkhiya started MyONEarth in 2020 to develop sustainable lifestyle products. The Delhi-based company offers a wide range of natural products made with bamboo, coconut shell, and coconut coir.

My ONEarth manufactures stationery, fashion and travel products, and home decor items. It also makes dental products such as bamboo toothbrushes. Initially, it had adopted a B2B model, but later, during the lockdown, it transformed into a D2C business. In less than a year of its launch, the business had clocked a turnover of Rs 50 lakh.

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Proklean

Proklean is a Chennai-based sustainable startup that develops biodegradable and non-toxic green chemicals. It was founded by Sivaram Pillai, Vishwadeep Kuila, and Bala Chandrashekar in 2012.

Proklean strives to offer eco-friendly products that are also easy on the pocket and safe to use. Its products are made using renewable carbon-based raw materials. The company says, with its sustainable products, it has helped save over 6,500 MT of carbon dioxide emissions. As it scales up, it hopes to create a significant impact on CO2 reduction.

Carragreen

Surabhi Shah and Chetna Shah are the founders of Carragreen, an eco-friendly startup that grabbed Rs 50 lakh in funding at Shark Tank India in 2021. The Indore-based company, which was founded in 2018, produces biodegradable stationery and offers packaging solutions.

Carragreen sells items such as pencils, pens, monthly calendars, and perforated biodegradable boxes that can be transformed into spoons and plates. It runs a successful B2B model and has clients such as Haldiram.

Aslee

Aslee is a sustainable fashion startup founded by Nitij Singh and Zoya Wahi in 2017. The Jaipur-based company makes durable and sustainable clothing using ethically sourced hemp, bamboo and nettle.

Aslee, which focuses on ‘slow fashion’ manufacturing, works with indigenous Himalayan communities in India and Nepal, who are involved in every step of the supply chain—from harvesting to manufacturing of fabrics.