Environment Day Meet: Eco-Minded Entrepreneurs Helping Our Environment - BW DISRUPT - By BW Online Bureau

Eco-preneurs are those who opt for business models with a vision to contribute to a greener planet. As climate change is a problem and that isn’t going anywhere in near future, and as an individual, corporations, or businesses it’s never late to adopt eco-friendly practices to make our planet a better place to live. There are eco-minded people who have gone a step ahead and have been making a consistent contribution by providing solutions to the individuals and helping them in adopting sustainable living.

These five entrepreneurs are encouraging people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles with their eco-friendly & environmentally conscious products.

1. Ved Krishna, Vice-Chairman, YashPakka - A well-traveled entrepreneur, Ved Krishna, who loves to travel but chose to stay back and come up with innovative ways towards the elimination of single use plastics from the world. His vision is to leave the planet cleaner. Being a leader of a successful company that manufactures packaging paper & moulded foodservice products from agro-residue sugarcane waste (bagasse) which is locally sourced & pulped. He has also launched an innovative range of compostable tableware products under the brand name ‘CHUK’. It has also resulted in the company winning the India Design Mark, Red Dot, and CII design awards.

2. Dolly Kumar, Skinella - The brainchild of a cosmetic engineer and women entrepreneur Dolly Kumar, Skinella is a skincare brand that offers products made with the power of superfoods that caters to the skincare needs of young TG 15–25-year-old girls. After extensive research & development, Dolly realizes the need for a brand that is natural & free from harsh chemicals & toxins and launched Skinellaa to feed the skin with the beauty benefits of natural superfoods, Skinella products are certified by PETA for cruelty-free and vegan. Recently the brand has introduced Facesheet masks that are made with 100% biodegradable cellulose sheets that make it eco-friendly. Not only the products, but the packaging is also recyclable to keep it environment friendly.

3. Reetesh Dhingra, Co-Founder, Wiz: Wiz is India’s leading brand for personal care and hygiene products, and Reetesh’s unparalleled FMCG expertise has worked like a cherry on the top for the brand. He, along with his team, is a firm believer in Stan Lee’s philosophy that “with great power comes great responsibility” -- and the team tries to live by it. As India’s leading personal care brand, Wiz launched a different product range called, OVI (Only Vegan Ingredients) which is eco-friendly and are biodegradable derived from vegan surfactants. These are 100% chemical-free and are safe even for babies and pets. The eco-friendly range of cleaning products for the kitchen to the bathroom is cruelty-free and consists of only vegan ingredients. While this may have hit you that the plant-based products may burn your pocket, Wiz products are available in the market at a manufacturing rate so that people from all walks of life can have easy access to them.

4. Mini VarkeyShibuandKochery C Shibu, Founders, MINC - It was founded by Mini VarkeyShibu and Kochery C Shibu in 2007. Mini is an alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and calls herself passionate about eco-fashion, minimalist design, and khadi. Kochery, on the other hand, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy with a career in the Indian Navy. He has experience in setting up design studios and has worked in the areas of operational development promotions and vendor development.   The startup designs garments while only using natural fabrics, azo-free environment-friendly dyes, and closure made from natural materials like wood, coconut, etc. It also promotes khadi, and the team believes in promoting green living through eco-fashion.

5. UditSood and Nikita Barmecha, EcoRight - Paying close attention to being the eco-friendly, affordable, and appealing way, EcoRight is your fix for bags of every kind in the most fun designs. Along with using natural and durable fabrics for their bags, even their packaging is biodegradable.  The two founders, UditSood and Nikita Barmecha are both MBA professionals who moved from corporate careers to providing environmental options through EcoRight. The company produces high-quality bags in quirky, yet thought-provoking environmental issue-related prints, even with innovative fabrics – recycled cotton and Juton (jute+cotton).