About the Fundraiser

It all started in 2015 with a vision to reduce impact on environment and rebuild tribal economies
by promoting Bauhinia Vahlli leaf plate manufacturing at village level . Leaf plates ; as
renewable and biodegradable as a leaf falling from a tree . Next time you eat outside , feel the
nature in hands . Enjoy the summer and the unbeatable feeling of making the world a greener
place.

What is our approach?

Bauhinia Vahlli plant , the largest woody creeper is abundantly available in Indian forests that
regrow three times a year . Leaves of Bauhinia Vahlli is being used as food packaging and meal
plates in India and tribal communities make a living on the collection . Value addition of these
leaves with our new green technology will enable us to replace1000 tons of highly polluting
plastic and Styrofoam catering disposables from the global market creating thereby employment
opportunity for the tribal communities and a better environment for human health and wild life.
How are they made ?
Spotless Green Bauhinia Vahlli leaves are dried in a shed after cleaning, dry leaves are being
stitched with cotton thread in sewing machines to get the desired shape and size and then heat
pressed in hydraulic press machines for trimming and cutting and finally packed in card board
boxes putting a silica gel bag inside. Products are made in all sizes with modern classy designs
and can be used for all catering occasions .Use less energy and emit less CO2 during production.
Quality is our primary motto and considering it throughout the manufacturing process. We
process operations and screening of raw materials (for example, to ensure good-quality genetic
stock and post-collection treatment that prevents contamination). We follow the norms of the
International Standards Organisation and quality checkpoints at each stage of the manufacturing
process to ensure the standard product quality.
How did it all start?
It all started in Binaya Kumar's head, and manifested in his birth place Phulbani , Odisha . There
he installed his first pressing machine, completely operated manually - or more precisely, by
foot. We raised money, brought our first semi-automatic prototyping machine , and presented our
products in public.
This is not only about outdoor tableware. It is about food packaging. It is about preventing
plastic waste. It is about creating employment opportunity for tribal people . It is about
preservation and revitalization of wildlife habitat . It is about the next generations..
What is the money used for?
We have successfully finished development and prototyping. We erected a small scale production
facility and started our production in Visakhapatnam .Now we are ready for the next steps: We
will promote 100 nos. of micro manufacturing units in Odisha and Andhtrapradesh to scale it up
and to bring 36 million leaf plates to the global market every year by 2018 . The raw material
drying and processing is such that it is better to have micro-level production facilities where leaf
is available. We therefore need additional machines and money to be spent on promotion and
training of leaf plate production at village level . Every Coin you pledge will be put into
development and into production. Together, we will create a greener world - replacing plastic
food packaging with packaging made from leaves. So, please contribute generously and Make a
Difference!
What's in it for you?
We know that you make pledges for a cause. Because you want to support an idea. Because you
want to use your power to shape the world. And we know that there has to be something
interesting in it for you as well. So here is our offer: You support us in reaching our goal of
changing the world of one-way dishes and packaging. And in return, We will celebrate your next
birth days by sending you a gift box of modern classy design leaf plates and will plant some trees
in your name to inspire others.
Our motivation :
Ever growing mountains of non biodegradable catering disposables . We are drowning in
garbage of paper and plastic, and we are over-using our resources. Every 10000 standard-size
disposable polystyrene foam plates result in more than 500kg emissions of CO2 . Every
individual uses and dumps plastic wastage of minimum 5 KG per year. This accounts to a
minimum of 250 KG in life time and one Ton from a family. And the volume is growing by 4.8%
annually.
Forests play a crucial role supporting life across the globe, producing oxygen and absorbing
climate change-causing carbon dioxide. Every 2 seconds, woods of the size of a soccer field are
cut down. This sums up to 13 million hectares of wood every year that are deforested for
producing pulp out of them - this actually equates the size of England! Losses are currently most
dramatic in the tropical regions as land is cleared for agriculture and other commercial purposes .
On the other hand people living in the rich forests are still poor. Forests tend to be located in
remote areas where the reach of the market economy and technological progress are inhibited or
slowed. People living in forest fringe villages collect forest produce and sell it for small returns
and remain eternally poor. We decided to help them earn more by providing them hand holding
support to set up their own leaf plate making units through our new green technology .
Our Team :
Binaya Kumar Bishi , founder of Kumar Enterprise India has a four years long working
experience as a consultant for setting-up micro-enterprises based on Bauhinia Vahlli leaf plate
manufacturing . His education in social work coupled with love for nature developed a passion
for building an enterprise which has social and environmental goals built into its model .
A.Biswanathan and Charan Maharana , professional social workers with much experience in
micro enterprise promotion are our core team members . We have teamed up with AASRA and
IRPWA as our outreach partners . ACI has joined with us as our technical partner for supply of
machine equipment with after care services .

Why are we doing this?

Our life is a contribution of nature. We all depend on a wide range of essential benefits provided
by the environment for our day to day existence, including the air we breathe, the food we eat
and the water we drink. The nature provides us with all the resources we will ever need including
the plant and animal life. If respected nature can keep providing us with what we need for many
millions of years to come. it is our duty to preserve the environment for the future generation.
Risks and challenges
Building bridges between poverty alleviation and creating better environment is a crucial task. It
involves strengthening capacity of people living in forest fringe villages , and developing
financial linkages for them to set up manufacturing units with new technology machine
equipment. It also includes strengthening partnerships and collaboration with organisations
working in development sectors. Scaling up your production is always challenging and thrilling.