Ecopreneurs are those who choose business models with a vision to contribute to a greener planet. As climate change is an issue that is not going anywhere in the near future, and as an individual, corporations, or businesses, it is never late to adopt eco-friendly practices to make our planet a better place to live. Some eco-minded people have gone a step ahead and have been making a consistent contribution by providing solutions to individuals and helping them in adopting sustainable living.
Here are the five entrepreneurs who encourage people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles with their eco-friendly and environmentally conscious products and brands:
1. Ved Krishna, Vice-Chairman, YashPakka
A well-travelled entrepreneur, Ved Krishna, chose to stay back in his country and come up with innovative ways to eliminate single-use plastics from the entire globe. His vision is to make the planet cleaner, greener and happier. Ved is a leader of a successful company YashPakka that manufactures packaging paper and moulded foodservice products from agro-residue sugarcane waste (bagasse), which is locally sourced and pulped.
Besides, he has also launched an innovative range of compostable tableware products under the name of 'CHUK'. It has also resulted in the company winning the Red Dot, India Design Mark and CII design awards.
2. Vaibhav Anant, Founder, Bambrew
Bambrew is a sustainable packaging startup and a one-stop innovative solution provider in India. In his leadership capacity, Vaibhav oversees the direction of Research and Development, New Product Development, Operations, Team Development, and Finance & Funding. With Vaibhav at the helm, Bambrew has reduced more than 10,000 tons of plastic by creating sustainable and feasible substitutes that are a perfect natural replacement for single-use plastic.
Under his guidance, the company has cemented strong tie-ups with numerous leading business entities like Amazon, Nykaa, 1MG, Puma, Chumbak, Big Basket, Myntra, Flipkart, Aditya Birla and Accessorise London and hopes to add many more partners in the near future.
3. Dolly Kumar, Founder, Skinella
The brainchild of a women entrepreneur and cosmetic engineer, Dolly Kumar, Skinella is a well-known skincare brand that offers products made with the power of superfoods catering to the skincare needs of young girls and women between 15-25 years of age. After extensive research and development, Dolly realised the need for a brand that is natural, free from harsh chemicals and toxins. She launched Skinellaa to feed the skin with the beauty benefits of natural superfoods. Skinella products are certified by PETA as cruelty-free and vegan.
Recently, the brand has launched Facesheet masks that are made with 100 per cent biodegradable cellulose sheets that make them eco-friendly. Not only the products, but the packaging is also recyclable to keep it environment friendly.
4. Reetesh Dhingra, Co-Founder, Wiz
Wiz is the leading brand in India for personal care and hygiene products, and Reetesh's unparalleled FMCG expertise has worked like a cherry on the top for the brand. Along with his team, he is a firm believer in Stan Lee's philosophy that "with great power comes great responsibility" - and his team tries to live by it. As the country's leading personal care brand, Wiz launched a different product range called OVI (Only Vegan Ingredients), which is eco-friendly and biodegradable, derived from vegan surfactants. These are 100 per cent chemical-free and are safe 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 take a hit that the plant-based products may burn an individual's pocket, Wiz products are available in the market at a manufacturing cost so that people from all walks of life can easily access them.
5. UditSood and Nikita Barmecha, EcoRight
Paying close attention to being the affordable, eco-friendly and appealing way, EcoRight is the fix for bags of every kind in the most fun and cool designs. Apart from using natural and durable fabrics for their bags, their packaging is also biodegradable. Both the founders, UditSood and Nikita Barmecha are MBA professionals who shifted from successful corporate careers to providing environmental solutions to people through their brand.
The company produces high-quality bags in quirky yet thought-provoking environmental issue-related prints, even with innovative fabrics – recycled cotton and Juton (jute and cotton).