Have you ever heard of laptop bags made from waste vehicle tires?  Or a pen-stand from bicycle chain? A bamboo speaker or seed paper pencils?

Kabadiwala.com, founded by Mr. Varun Dharni is a 3-years old e-commerce venture which is into making of all such products. For many Best out of Waste is just a term, but for Mr. Dharni it’s not just his business but also his lifestyle. 

In an episode of Sustain talks, an enthusiastic change maker, Ajinkya Shinde, interviewed the Founder of Kabadiwala Innovations LLP, Mr. Varun Dharni , a role model of Sustainability.

In 2008, after getting hit by a recession, this software engineer was determined towards giving back to humanity and what better way than working for environment. That’s when the thought of sustainability lead to the forming of Kabadiwala.com. 

Kabadiwala.com does not only work towards creating awareness about recycling and upcycling model but also building platforms that would identify and give visibility to the rural and urban artisans. Apart from this, they have collaborated with Reliance Industries and are going to promote “R|Elan™ Green Gold”, the greenest fibre in the world, completely made out of plastic bottles and also making use of it in textile production.

“Opportunity is creative thinking plus reusing the waste.” Believing in this, Mr. Varun works on creating innovating products from old tires, cycle chain, paper, bamboo, and the list goes on. “We aim to reach out every office and household with our artisans up-cycled / eco-friendly products which otherwise would have been thrown out thinking of them as waste. This would also allow us to get Urban India connected to Rural India and bring smiles to faces as a whole.” - Kabadiwala Innovators LLP. 

Every passing day we notice India burring under mounds of garbage, environment degrading and exhausting, people and homes getting covered under piles of waste.It’s alarming that we change our mind-sets and work towards a healthy environment. Every individual and youth can contribute by either creating products from waste like clothes, bamboo, newspapers or train the rural people and help educate the society. After all, mass consumerism and behaviour is responsible for mass circularity which leads to affordable sustainability.

So let’s tackle the price stigma and overcome the attitude of convenience and opt for sustainable and upcycled products. Because, when most of the masses will ensure best out of waste in their regular lives, planet will be a better place to be in says Mr. Dharni. 

“Waste isn’t waste until we waste it.”So let’s utilise the scrap and waste efficiently and completely and fix for the so called ‘throw away culture’. 

By : Riya Nathe