The amount of flowers thrown away in religious ceremonies in India is very large, causing significant environmental problems.
Chrysanthemums, roses, carnations and many other fragrant flowers are commonly used in temples in India as a ritual honoring the gods. After being used, these flowers are often released into the river, which makes the river water in India more polluted.
Discarded flowers often jam water in India – (Photo: Internet).
To solve this problem, a Startup in India has been formed to turn waste flowers into perfume, soap and compost.
HelpUsGreen is a startup with an initial capital of only 72,000 rupees (about 23 million VND) in 2015. The owner of this company is Ankit Agarwal and close friend Karan Rastogi.
Ankit Agarwal started the company after quitting his job at cybersecurity firm Symantec, which initially shocked his family.
However, this young man who grew up in Kanpur saw the Ganges being poisoned by piles of flowers discarded from the temples and wanted to help society solve the problem.
Up to now, after 3 years of operation, Startup HelpUsGreen is very successful and plans to build two new factories this year to expand operations. With two new factories, the company can process 38 tons of discarded flowers a day, turning them into useful goods.
In addition to business, HelpUsGreen is also a social enterprise as it helps Indian women get jobs. HelpUsGreen employs about 80 women at the Kanpur campus and provides them with practical benefits such as savings, health insurance, transportation, and more.
Currently, the company is in the process of developing the brand and the founders have decided to cut the price of its products in half to attract the attention of customers.