Phool: A Biomaterial Startup Making Crores From Flower Waste

Waste Management is one of the most critical issues in India. And we need to understand that wastes have a strong negative impact on nature and it can cause any form of pollution, whether we’re talking about recycling or dumping accumulated junk from our home, workplace, or industry. Speaking of dumping of waste, the most common place to dump is water. Take the example of our holy river Ganga. 

Millions of people visit Ganga ghats every year where they bathe to cleanse themselves of sin. In the act, a lot of flowers are being dumped into the river, thus, polluting it with harmful insecticides. To address this issue, Ankit Agarwal, who has been featured in Forbes 30 under 30, launched Phool.Co., a biomaterial startup.

How Did It Begin? 

It all started in 2015 when Ankit Agarwal visited Kanpur and went to Ganga Ghats with his childhood friend. While sitting near the bank of the ‘Holy Ganga’, Ankit was shocked to see the amount of trash bottling up the river. Many devotees were coming and performing rituals in the river, turning it into a poisonous sewer.

Ankit and his friend were concerned about why no one is doing anything for it and so they decided to not let it go. That’s when Ankit came up with the idea of turning temple waste into something useful and so he launched Phool.com in 2017. 

Obstacles In The Road

Ankit Agarwal had to face a lot of challenges before making his name in the market. The first obstacle that came into his journey was that none of the temple management was ready to give up their flower waste.

However, this didn’t stop Ankit from trying, as he still kept convincing them about his idea of recycling. After much research and waiting for the right opportunity, Phool finally manufactured its own first flowercycled incense. 

Another challenge faced by Phool is collecting thousands of flower waste from the rivers. According to the reports, more than 800 million metric tonnes of flowers are thrown into Ganga per year. These flowers rot and fill the water with chemical insecticides.

Fighting against all the odds, Ankit and his team successfully managed to launch a company that collects flowers and convert them into diverse products such as organic vermicompost, incense sticks, soap and other biodegradable packaging materials.

Success Of Phool

There is no doubt in saying that Ankit Agarwal made a huge difference with his socio-economic venture. His idea not only nurtured the families involved in manufacturing but provided employment to the whole chain including delivery and support system. The brand was even rewarded with the United Nations Momentum of Change Award at COP 2018. 

Moreover, Phool’s alternative to animal leather, Fleather received PETA’s best innovation award in the Vegan World. From a small step for society and  Mother Nature, Phool.com has now become a renowned brand for luxury incense sticks.

The company has impacted 365 families by raising living standards and making sure steady earnings. Ankit-led startup currently operates in four districts in Uttar Pradesh and is likely to expand its operations in other countries like Bangladesh, and Nepal.