Government and society facing tough times against unending use of polythene bags have got a companion. Dr. Sunita Chandak Chitlangia, a social entrepreneur, a researcher and a professor at Nirmala College, Ranchi has come up with a noble venture – Eco Saviour that can give way to the environmental menace once and for all.
According to Chitlangia, ‘Eco – Saviour’, which offers environmental friendly 100 per cent compostable products like carry bags, shopping bags, garbage bin lining, and bio-medical waste bags for the home and for commercial usage are compostable carry bags and are helpful alternative of replacing single use plastic carry bags as it has the ability of ‘Self Disintegration’ into soil within 180 days.
Interestingly, ‘Eco-Saviour’ venture has found a place in the top 100 business ideas list of the Women Startup Programme (WSP) – 2018, organised at the Indian Institute of Management – Bengaluru (IIM-B). Notably, Chitlangia is the only female contestant from Jharkhand to be part of this elite programme that enables aspiring Indian woman entrepreneurs to systematically identify and test their business ideas.
The compostable bags are made-up of natural starch, vegetable oil derivatives and vegetable waste, which look similar to plastic bags but are compostable and bio-degradable. “Bags made of bioplastics have the basic ingredient granulate made from renewable resources like corn starch, potato starch and bio-polymers. An additional advantage of renewable materials for bioplastics is that no oil-based components are used and no trees need to be chopped. The biomass used is renewable; hence the depletion of resources is not an issue,” Dr. Chitlangia said while explaining about her project ‘Eco - Saviour’.
“Another good thing about bioplastics is that they are compostable: they decay into natural materials that blend harmlessly with soil. Some bioplastics can break down within weeks. The cornstarch molecules they contain slowly absorb water and swell up; causing them to break apart into small fragments. They self disintegrate into soil in 180 days and can be used as compost for plants,” she further added.
The idea of her venture has originated from her PhD thesis topic ‘An Economic Study of Jute Industry in India’. “Being an environment lover, I started working in this direction for a social cause with a group of women. Meanwhile, I got an opportunity to participate in WSP 2018. The all India level competition transforms innovative idea into a business venture,” Chitlangia said.
Dr. Chitlangia’s social venture has gained much appreciation from the State government agencies like Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board, Ranchi Municipal Corporation, Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (GoJ) as well as Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GoI
The WSP is a first-of-its kind customized online and classroom-training programme designed to provide a platform budding female entrepreneurs. The WSP provides in-depth training to nurture and boost managerial and entrepreneurial skills of female entrepreneurs through mentorship from industry veterans, incubation at leading institutes and financial support.
“The WSP 2018 programme started in the month of January 2018. After several rounds of exposure through technical sessions and pitching rounds, my idea was approved. Out of 7000 venture only 300 ventures were selected, the place allotted for my Boot camp 1 was IIM- Visakhapatnam. During nine days training, I was exposed to several entrepreneurial learning activities,” Dr. Chitlangia said, recalling her journey.
“My endeavour was selected for Boot Camp II in which only top 100 ventures are selected for further training and mentoring. After completion of boot Camp II, I find myself most lucky to be incubated at IIM Vizag and IIM Bengaluru for monthly reviews and mentoring,” she said.
The Pan India competition is organized by NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) – IIM Bengaluru and supported by Ministry of Science and Technology, GoI and Goldman Sach.
Following the success of WSP – 2016, which saw the participation of 1,700 woman entrepreneurs’, the WSP – 2018 saw over 6,000 aspiring business women rubbing their shoulders to grab the top place from across the country. The competition is organised in partnership with leading management institutes that includes-- IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Indore, IIM Nagpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Udaipur, IIE Guwahati and CIIE Ahmadabad.