Built using recycled cardboard, this Mumbai café is taking sustainability to the next level
Founded by 32-year-old chef-turned-author Amit Dhanani, this Mumbai café is spread over 40,000 sqft of cardboard.
Thanks to our excessive online shopping, we have heaps of cardboard boxes lying around at home. But imagine cardboard used for more than just packaging your online purchases. Imagine a building made using cardboard.
Thinking out-of-the box is this Mumbai café, which is completely made from recycled cardboard. Everything in the café - from its furniture, light fixtures, signage, cutlery, etc are made out of cardboard.
Founded by 32-year-old chef-turned author Amit Dhanani, the café is designed and conceived by architect Nuru Karim, and is located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), in Mumbai.
Called the Cardboard, it is spread over 40,000 sqft made of cardboard and was built in just seven months. The café also promotes using eco-friendly and recyclable materials, as well as vegan food.
The cardboard cafe in Mumbai promotes vegan food. (Image: Lifebuzz)
Speaking to NDTV, Amit said,
“Cardboard is a very under-valued product. People think it can be only used while shifting homes or packaging different things. But cardboard really is an environment buddy – it is 100 percent recyclable and is primarily made up of 50 percent air. Moreover, it is also very cost-effective, durable, lightweight, insulating, and exhibits excellent sound absorption properties making it extremely acoustic-friendly. And through this café, the idea was just to promote the concept of using cardboard in our daily life – upcycle it or recycle it. There are thousands of things one can really do with the mighty cardboard.”
In order to safeguard it from extreme weather conditions and spillage, the surfaces are laminated with wax.
All the materials used in the café have been tested through various stages to check its functionality and durability.
In order to safeguard it from extreme weather conditions and spillage, the surfaces at 'Cardboard' are laminated with wax. (Image: The Hindu)
In terms of packaging, the takeaway food is served in paper boxes, with no plastic being used. There are plans to have a proper food wastage system, reports The Hindu.
Amit further adds,
“Moreover, at the restaurant, we ensure a zero-waste chain is followed – in terms of food or products. We have also eliminated the use of plastic items from the restaurant, and we are very specific of what goes into the dustbin.”
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