A recent survey shows barely 8% of India’s plastic waste is recycled. Furthermore, suppose ‘business as usual’ persists. In that case, India’s plastic consumption is predicted to increase from the current production of 24.1 million tonnes (MT) to 70.5 MT by 2035, resulting in a negligible increase in the recycling capacity to 11%.
Now, let us review the specific case of plastic water bottles:
Every minute, more than a million water bottles are sold worldwide. According to the International Bottled Water Association, more than 97% of bottled water containers are plastic, with about 80% being Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).
And most are one-time use.
The association estimates that 85% of all PET water bottles are disposed of as unregulated garbage or in landfills after use.
Industry statistics show that India uses more than 14 lakh tonnes of PET plastic each year to package bottled water—about 3,800 tonnes daily.
We also have one of the fastest-growing mineral water markets in the country.
India has the highest recycling rate in the world—80%—but only collects about 2.8 lakh tonnes (about 20%) of trash plastic bottle waste yearly.
Many plastic recycling companies are going the B2B route, and only a few engage in the B2C market. Starting up in B2B is easier and more profitable with established supply chains.
However, contributing to efforts against the plastic pollution crisis revolves heavily around addressing civic behaviour problems. There are many cases in which recycled plastics become raw materials for equipment, infrastructure, or other things that may not effectively demonstrate to the public the importance of why plastics should be recycled.
Dense attempts to lead a sustainable change
Inspired by a friend, Gowrishankar Sivabala—a Chennai couple, Safia and Safar—has progressively engaged in beach cleanups since college. Realising the grave issue of plastic pollution, they religiously segregated their household waste and discarded it mindfully. They also extensively participated in environmental advocacy initiatives.
Over a decade passed, they realised that environmental awareness did not reach the masses no matter how many beach cleanup activities they undertook. So, they wanted to advocate for eco-consciousness in a way people would understand.
Safar Rahman and Safia Farzana founded RecycleNXT to increase the demand for recycling, divert waste from landfills, and encourage the public to use and discard their plastics more mindfully.
To tackle the global waste crisis, they needed to empower communities with innovative technology, make recycling simple and rewarding, and transform waste into valuable resources.
Safar and Safia wished to establish that style and duty to the planet could go together. They wanted to make people feel good about doing good. So, the founders set out to create things that looked good but were also good for the planet.
Consequently—Dense—RecycleNXT’s first brand was born as a style statement for people advocating for ethical causes.
Safar Rahman is an engineer turned entrepreneur with over ten years of experience in Engineering Design, Aerospace and Product Development. He is passionate about transforming social- and -eco-conscious ideas into viable products and solutions. He has travelled extensively from India to Europe and uses this experience to create sustainable technologies in waste management, industrial design, automation, and drone research.
Safia Farzana is an architect and an expert in circular economy. She brings her vast experience in architecture, interior design, and sustainability. She applies human-centric design principles to transform businesses into purpose-led ventures.
Gowri Shankar Sivabala is an academician, international speaker and entrepreneur. With a passion for fostering entrepreneurship, he serves as a mentor and global jury across leading national and international platforms, supporting the development of startups globally.
Imagine discarded plastics being given a new purpose, one product at a time.
Dense Bags are upscale and stylish bags made of 100% recycled plastic bottles and other recycled materials for fastenings, trims, accents, and fillings. Each plastic bottle undergoes a rigorous process to be woven into a Recycled PET (rPET) fabric, ensuring less water consumption during processing. Each bottle—a mere container to hold water, juices, or sodas for just a few minutes—is now reborn as a backpack and a symbol of sustainability.
The MomemtumPack is a chic, multi-functional backpack for professionals, students, and travellers. The bag is made with high-quality materials, so it is durable for rough use and can do all the heavy lifting you want (that is why it is named Dense)!
With the MomemtumPack on your shoulders, You’re choosing a stylish, eco-conscious alternative. You advocate for a sustainable, planet-friendly lifestyle and championing an environmental cause.
Choosing a Dense bag is more than just about spreading awareness about sustainability to the crowds.
With every Dense bag, you prevent 25 bottles from entering landfills, making a small yet meaningful impact.
By choosing a Dense bag, you are not just making a purchase, you are becoming part of the solution to the plastic waste crisis. You also lower the demand for products made of virgin plastic and empower a circular economy.
Dense values mindful consumption instead of overconsumption. With every purchase, customers contribute to the movement towards conscious and informed choices and eco-friendly, responsible lifestyles.
And there is MORE!
TerraTokens: Rewarding Planet-friendly Choices
What if, every time you engage in any planet-friendly activity, like:
- Segregating waste at home, donating used items to charities, or depositing plastic or glass waste for recycling
- Volunteering for environmental causes, planting trees or cleanups, or hosting ecological awareness events.
- Engaging in mindful consumption like purchasing pre-loved or eco-friendly products, upcycling old products or creating art from waste
- Using green energy resources like solar power, taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint by using shared transport, or buying local produce from organic farms?
You were rewarded generously!
The couple decided to encourage customers by introducing TerraTokens, which makes the five waste management principles (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle) attractive to the public and inspires consumers to consume mindfully and sustainably.
Every small act for the Earth counts.
So, TerraTokens are rewards customers can earn by engaging in a planet-friendly activity. People can redeem these tokens for exciting discounts on subsequent purchases of dense products.
They become part of a significant movement that champions conscious living and responsible choices by aspiring for more TerraToken rewards for every sustainable and earth-friendly move they make.
What Does the Future Hold for Dense?
Dense aims to be a trusted brand for quality and sustainability. The company doesn’t fear making mistakes and is bullish on learning and finding new ways to improve its products for people and the planet.
The company took three years to perfect the business idea, so it considers the triple bottom line: planet, people, and profits.
While many well-known brands were greenwashing customers by labelling bags made with virgin plastic as 100% recycled bags, Dense’s founders had to scout for ethical vendors and manufacturers who could offer 100% rPET fabrics and recycled accessories. Then, the founders also had to work with tailors and train them from scratch to get the desired designs flawlessly made with those fabrics.
The company is working on reverse logistics, including partnerships with regional recyclers, PET bottle deposit options, take-back repair options, and a refurbishing program where customers can give their old bags to Dense and earn TerraTokens. This way, the lifecycle of not just the Dense bags but also other bags is extended, and the company also responsibly handles the end-of-life of bags.
Dense will also expand its product line to create other modular and functional work accessories like totes, pouches, organisers, and sleeves so customers do not have to buy a hundred different things for a hundred different occasions and use one bag for various occasions.
In addition, the company will organise plastic waste collection drives to address the issue of plastic litter and seek to incorporate other kinds of plastics (apart from PET bottles) in the design of work accessories and stationery.
How Can You Support?
Whether you choose to spread the word about Dense’s story and mission with your friends and social circles, buy a bag or gift a bag to a loved one, or give feedback to the company’s founders on how they can improve their impact quotient, know that you are making a difference.
The company has launched a pre-order campaign today for the MomentumPack at a discounted price, and deliveries will start from October 31st this year!
With each bag you choose, you enjoy what the planet offers while doing good for the Earth. You make eco-friendly and conscious choices for the planet while enjoying your comfort and convenience without guilt!
Pre-order the MomentumPack using the following link and flaunt your TerraTokens this festive season!
Dense is crafted with love from Madras, India.