Success story: Working with garbage collectors to make handbags from waste, today a turnover of 100 crores

New Delhi. Starting a business not only requires capital but also a good idea. Thanks to this one idea, a female entrepreneur created a turnover of Rs 100 crore. Interestingly, this gave employment to thousands of rag pickers and also gave impetus to the central government’s ambitious plans ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and ‘Make in India’.
Anita Ahuja from Delhi and her husband Shalabh are running this unique campaign. According to the published news of Canfolios, they make beautiful export quality products by reusing plastic waste. Born in Bhopal and raised in Delhi, Anita Ahuja, the daughter of this freedom fighter, devoted her entire life to the service of society. Let’s see how he started making beautiful things from waste…
Also Read: Success Story: Left job to take care of parents, did TPA business, now 3000 crores portfolio

Started working for waste collectors to innovate in life
Seeing the plight of the rag pickers, she decided to do something to improve their lives. So he started a social enterprise where he decided to collect plastic waste from the ragpickers and turn it into world-class handbags. He had no intention of doing business or doing social work. With the aim of doing something new in life, he started working at the garbage collectors.
Also read: If you buy a dream car, keep these five things in mind, the prices will benefit

NGO ‘Conserve India’ has started collecting waste
One day, Anita along with some friends and family like her decided to take up some small projects in her area. He started an NGO ‘Conserve India’ and started collecting waste from all over the area as part of this project. The kitchen waste was separated from the collected waste and kept in a nearby park for composting. She realized from the start that nothing would work alone, so Anita also sought help from another colony. His beginning was not to make money.
Also read: This bank has made changes to the FD rates, you can also benefit from higher interest rates, know all

Getting started with Resident Welfare Association with 3000 people
NGO Conserve India started the Resident Welfare Association with about 3000 people. In 2002 this association became a full-time deployment organization with its own rights. For four years, Anita worked with ragpickers and realized that their standard of living was below the poverty line. She decided she would work to improve the living standards of the rag pickers. He got information about recycling technology from the internet and tried several things.
Also read: Deferment given for final settlement of LTC, now invoices can be deposited until this date

First they started weaving and making carpets
At first he wove and made carpets. But these products looked very simple, the labor was too much and financially impractical, and the sale of them also became difficult. Then he decided to develop plastic bags and it went well. She thought she would first create artwork in a plastic bag and then set up an exhibition and then try to raise money. Her husband realized that Anita’s plan would not work. Shalabh had the plastic sheets prepared by machine on a large scale. Have the artworks made in it with an automatic machine and then put them in the exhibition.
Found 30 lakh order in a tiny booth
In 2003, Conserve India participated in the Pragati Maidan trade show. He got a small booth from the Ministry of Textiles and he got an order of 30 lakhs in it. Anita and Shalabh decided that they would take ownership of the company as the buyers were not inclined to take orders directly from the NGO. For plastic waste, the rag pickers had to go door to door to collect the waste, but it remained in small quantities and then special colored plastic was needed to make the product. For this, he contacted the junkers and started ordering plastic waste directly from the industry. Gradually, Conserve India became a brand. By the year 2020, the turnover has reached 100 crores.