Greenevon: Turning the Tide on Plastic Waste with Plant-Based Bottles

Plastic containers, used for holding water, juice, and other everyday necessities, are now commonplace in our environment. The quantity of plastic garbage in landfills has not changed much in India despite the country's ban on single-use plastic. Plastic water bottles continue to be a frequent source of plastic trash that ends up in landfills even though several jurisdictions have implemented prohibitions on single-use plastic. According to a report by Moneycontrol, “Approximately 2.8 lakh tonnes of plastic bottle waste goes uncollected annually. The environmental impact is significant. Macroplastics, including PET, often clog sewage systems in urban and rural areas, pollute rivers, lakes, and beaches, and degrade the aesthetic and ecological value of tourist destinations and landscapes.” To combat the escalating issue of plastic waste, many individuals and changemakers have devised various solutions. Among these innovators is Nikhil Kumar of Greenevon Bio Bottles, who has pioneered a bottle made from sugarcane! The bottle is 100% biodegradable and 100% natural made using sugarcane. These bottles are environment-friendly and only take 180 days to degrade when exposed to moisture and high temperatures.  Plastic Is Never the Solution (Source: Google Images) His Life Background ~  Nikhil was born and raised in Delhi and has always had a strong interest in business. He decided to start his own business after receiving his degree.  "This isn't my first foray into the world of business. I've always had a strong desire to make something entirely original. I started in the coffee industry, then I had a little clothesline business, and then I moved into eco-friendly projects,” he says in one of his interviews. Nikhil was raised in an environment where plastic bottles were widely used, just like many of us. Although the motivational urge didn't happen right away, he has always been aware of environmental challenges for as long as he could remember. Nikhil frequently came across articles discussing the nation's growing plastic garbage problem. As an entrepreneur, he felt compelled to seek a solution as he became increasingly aware of the problem.  Although he admits that there are some alternatives to plastic, he was determined to create an inexpensive, ecologically responsible product that looked and felt like plastic. He wanted to step back from his previous startup and concentrate only on identifying the best substitute. He therefore made the decision to sell his firm and focus entirely on research in 2021. He started reading up on the options that were now being offered both domestically and internationally. People are switching from plastic to alternatives like copper, bamboo, and different types of wood. But he soon discovered that these substitutes had disadvantages of their own: they are typically heavyweight and too costly for general use. Manufacturers wishing to employ them in packaging face logistical hurdles as a result of these issues. Finding the Right Pitch ~  Nikhil co-founded 'Greenevon Bio Bottles' in 2021. This standard single-use plastic bottle, bears the words "I am a bottle but I am not plastic." It breaks down naturally in 180 days or six months. The bottle looks and feels just like plastic. The only distinction is that it is plant-based, biodegradable, and ecologically beneficial. Nikhil discusses the substance and the production method, saying, "In my research, I looked into how plants could be used to create different kinds of materials." I was looking at alternatives when I discovered the amazing qualities of sugarcane, much as how plants can be utilized to manufacture leather. He spent over two and a half years refining the bottles to their current condition. He says, "At the moment, the bottles can be molded into a variety of shapes, hold both liquid and solid foods, and can tolerate a range of temperatures." Nevertheless, a great deal of trial and error was required to reach this point. "Making these bottles transparent in a variety of climates and settings was the largest challenge I faced while creating them. It was difficult to stable the material because it reacted differently to the sun, cold, and rain, according to Nikhil. These bottles currently cost about eight times as much as single-use plastic bottles. Liquids including juices and water, semi-liquids, pharmaceuticals, dairy products, and solid food items can all be stored in the bottles. They can be moulded and formed into any shape, including containers. The bottle's three main contributions are that it is fully biodegradable, stable at temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius, and leak-proof when it comes to polycarbonate. He says, "Anything produced in smaller quantities tends to be slightly more expensive," in reference to the bottles' pricing. Although plastic bottles are quite inexpensive, we are working to lower the cost of our goods. Our bottles currently cost about eight times as much as single-use plastic bottles. Nikhil says, looking back on his journey thus far, "I approached it with an innovator's mindset when I started." It would have been difficult for me to concentrate on the product itself if I had been unduly worried about the product's marketability and affordability. I was driven to make something environmentally sensitive at the moment, and I let fate take its course. My drive to create was what kept me going. Within the next four months, the company hopes to introduce the product into Indian markets, where it is now in the manufacturing phase.