It's not enough that we are sustainable, we must inspire others to be as well. Similarly, it's not enough that we switch to sustainable alternatives to everyday products, we must spread the word as well. So when Abhishek Deo (21) and Gourav Sarangi (22) took to going eco-friendly, they understood they needed to go above and beyond.
Abhishek, for one, has been involved in various environmental events since class XII and it was in March 2020 that he finally got to execute all that he had learnt along with his childhood friend Gourav. And that's the genesis story behind Rourkela-based Greenhive Essentials.
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What they do is pretty simple — source first-rate products like bamboo toothbrushes, copper tongue cleaners, cloth bags and steel straws. What they do to get the word out about not just their products but the concept of sustainability as a whole is what sets them apart. "We realised that people want to see and feel these products before they actually purchase them. Hence, we started putting up physical stalls at NT Supermarket and Rourkela Ambagan," lists Abhishek. Then there are the online sessions the duo have been conducting since September 2020. The count is now at eight, we hear. "The topics revolve around sustainability. We rely heavily on videos and slides to keep the sessions interactive," explains the final year BCom student of Ravenshaw University, Cuttack. Their sessions are usually 45 minutes long, hosted by the founders and open to all. That's how they end up taking a lot of questions towards the end and sparking conversations — the very reason that they actually conduct these sessions.
Coming to the products themselves, the duo put in a lot of research to understand what exactly the apprehensions are when it comes to purchasing sustainable products. Take the toothbrush, for example. "Customers felt that it's a lot easier for toothbrushes made of wood to catch fungus, especially if left wet for a long time which isn't the case. So in April 2020, we carefully picked a bamboo toothbrush manufacturer based out of Delhi and sourced our products from them. We even requested them to coat the brushes with oil wax to keep even the slightest hint of fungus at bay," explains the youngster. Similarly, the copper tongue cleaner comes from Gujarat, the steel straws from Maharashtra and the cloth bags from Kolkata. "The reason for going to great extents to source them from different places is to get the best on our online platform," he shares, also adding that they intend to expand their product portfolio as and when they come along with products that really stand the test of time.
All Greenhive Essential products are retailed via their own website and they are up on Amazon India as well. They want to capture the offline market soon and start being available in departmental and grocery stores as well.
For more on them check out greenhiveessentials.com
