A childhood memory of mistaking a landfill for a hill inspired Delhi-based entrepreneur Kanika Ahuja to rethink the way plastic waste is viewed. Today, as the Director of Conserve India, she leads LIFAFFA, the organisation’s circular design brand that transforms discarded plastic bags, multilayered wrappers and other low-value plastic waste into handcrafted lifestyle products.
Launched in 2017 after the family restructured Conserve India’s plastic upcycling initiative, LIFAFFA has so far upcycled over 12,000 kilograms of plastic, preventing it from reaching landfills while creating livelihood opportunities for women artisans and offering waste pickers nearly three times their usual earnings. Kanika says the initiative is driven by the belief that building a circular economy should become an everyday practice rather than an occasional effort.
Turning Plastic Waste Into Purpose
Kanika grew up in a household where conversations around responsible consumption were a part of daily life. Her parents, Anita and Shalabh Ahuja, founded Conserve India in 1998 as an organisation focused on energy efficiency before expanding its work to tackle Delhi’s growing plastic waste problem.
One childhood incident left a lasting impression on Kanika when she attempted to climb what she believed was a small hill near her neighbourhood, only to discover it was a landfill. Although her parents initially encouraged her to pursue a different career, she completed an engineering degree from Manipal, earned an MBA from SRCC Delhi and worked in market research before deciding to join Conserve India full-time in 2016. By then, she felt the organisation’s plastic initiative had drifted from its original purpose. “There came a point where the work felt like only being that of an export house,” she recalls. The family paused to reassess its approach and relaunched the initiative with decentralised production, a stronger focus on Indian consumers and a dedicated circular design brand. That vision became LIFAFFA in 2017.
The enterprise collects discarded plastic bags, thin polythene and multilayered packaging, which are washed, sorted by colour, layered and compressed using a machine developed by the team. Without using dyes, the process creates Handmade Recycled Plastic, a leather-like material crafted into bags, wallets, laptop sleeves, notebooks, table mats and other everyday products.
Alongside reducing waste, women from marginalised communities are trained to manufacture these products, while waste pickers supplying the raw plastic receive significantly higher returns than conventional recycling channels.
Recognition Beyond Recycling
Beyond developing sustainable products, Kanika has emerged as a prominent advocate for the circular economy and fair trade. She currently serves as the Director of Conserve India and the President of Plastiskul, working with artisans across North India to develop grassroots innovations with global relevance. Under LIFAFFA, her work has been showcased at Lakme India Fashion Week, demonstrating how discarded plastic can be transformed into premium lifestyle products without compromising design or quality.
Conserve India has also received recognition for innovation and circular economy from organisations including FICCI, ICCE and NITI Aayog, while UN Women named Kanika a Youth Champion for her contributions to sustainable development. She has also represented her work at the 15th International Fair Trade Summit in Peru and shared her journey through a TEDx talk. Today, LIFAFFA’s products are sold in India as well as international markets including the United States and Europe, illustrating how circular economy models can create environmental, social and economic value simultaneously.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of our time, but stories like Kanika Ahuja’s remind us that solutions are not limited to large-scale infrastructure or policy interventions. They can also emerge from thoughtful design, community participation and a willingness to see value where others see waste.
LIFAFFA demonstrates that circular economy models can reduce landfill waste while creating dignified livelihoods for women artisans and waste pickers, ensuring that environmental action and social inclusion go hand in hand.
As conversations around sustainability continue to grow, initiatives that connect innovation with empathy offer an encouraging path forward. What more can businesses, communities and consumers do to make circular economy practices part of everyday life?
Also Read: From Tomato Waste to Future Fashion: Pritesh Mistry’s Sustainable Innovation
