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World Environment Day: Former wedding planners recycle & repurpose 300 tonnes of plastic waste in 5 yrs
Curious as to how this plastic waste is recycled (if at all), the two friends met with several scrap sellers and rag pickers but never got a satisfactory response.
LUCKNOW Successful wedding planners from Ghaziabad -- Sakshi Jha and Sarfaraz Ali -- had an epiphany at the peak of their career when they realised the amount of plastic that goes into the waste bin in the form of disposable glasses and plates at events.
Curious as to how this plastic waste is recycled (if at all), the two friends met with several scrap sellers and rag pickers but never got a satisfactory response. And that’s when they concreted their resolve to start a plastic recycling venture.
To set the ball rolling, they approached the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam and requisitioned 300 kgs of plastic. Using plastic waste, they made a model of the Swachh Bharat logo. The two vividly recall that moment as the one solidifying their recycling business, which they call -- SarfarazSakshi.
Reminiscing the journey of their start-up, Sakshi said, “While organising events, we saw up close the number of plastic glasses and plates that go in the bin, and the scale of wastage that happens, which also harms the environment. We knew starting up a company where we recycle and repurpose plastic would not make us as much money as the event planning business. Nevertheless, we wanted to do the work that satisfies our hearts.”
Both Sakshi, a Bihar resident, and Sarfaraz, a Meerut resident, are former business students. In the business of recycling since 2018, the two entrepreneurs process 50 tonnes (approximately) of plastic waste per month and turn it into art and utility items. They have also made several life-size installations for buildings, park benches, furniture, and more.
Currently, they are in touch with private and public bodies, who hand over their waste plastic to SarfarazSakshi. The company processes the waste and then turns it into art showpieces or utilitarian items. The two founders were even employed by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam to make benches and play items and furniture for schools and anganwadis in the city.
“We were asked by Ghaziabad’s chief development officer at the time to make furniture for schools and anganwadis. Very often, pregnant mothers come to these anganwadis and they have to wait for long periods. So, we made benches for them in the waiting areas to make them feel more comfortable,” said Sakshi.
Another of their accomplishment includes furnishing an entire conference room for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in India with repurposed plastic. Today, they get orders for repurposed plastic products from across the country. “So far, we have processed and repurposed more 3,00,000 kgs of plastic waste,” they added.
