THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The plastic, as we know, came to existence only since the last 60-70 years, but in short span of time has marked its presence in everything. It has transformed everything from clothing, cooking, catering and to product design.Today plastic is causing irreparable damage to the human health and ecosystem. The unavoidable presence of plastic in the food industry has been an important cause for the ever-increasing health issues these days.
With the aim of reducing the white pollution, several startups have been coming up with innovative ideas to find an alternative to plastics.Bagasse, the fibrous remains after extracting sugarcane juice, can be moulded into disposable products that include plates, containers of different sizes. These products, branded as Chuk, are manufactured in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and are marketed by Kochi-based Saintjo Innovations in Kerala.
Saintjo Innovations is a venture started by Saju George, which was launched as an environment-friendly business and provides a solution to Kerala’s ever-growing plastic problems. Sugarcane, bamboo and wheat straw are used to manufacture its disposable material.
“During the last 10 years, the entire health scenario has changed in our state. The influence of plastic in the food industry is immense. My aim is to bring a change in the packaging industry. For this, I have been researching for last two years. That’s how the idea of Saintjo Innovations came up, and in collaboration with Chuk Paper Products we set out to create awareness about our eco-friendly disposable material,” says Saju George.
Saintjo Innovations launched their products for the first time during the T20 cricket match played between India and New Zealand at The Sports Hub, Karyavattam. The Corporation had placed an order for nearly 50,000 pieces worth Rs 1 lakh. Kudumbashree was roped in to distribute the food in these biodegradable plates.
Saju and his company aim to provide an alternative against aluminium and plastic packaging by distributing the products made of sugarcane waste.”The material that we use comes from the earth and goes back to the earth. It becomes manure within 3-4 months when disposed of,” says Saju.
“Even the paper plates and paper cups are harmful as these items are coated with PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and aluminium. PVC is very toxic both for environment and health. The government should take a strong stance and bring a total ban on plastic,” adds Saju.
“When the government banned the use of plastic to parcel food, food outlets started to use plastic sheets on the plate to serve food. This is even more dangerous as the quality of plastic used is very bad and when hot food is served several dangerous toxins get mixed with food,” says Anil Kumar N V, health inspector.
He is supportive of Saju’s venture. “The biodegradable material which was used to serve food during the Cricket match was very successful. We would like to join hands with similar innovative start-ups to bring down the plastic concerns in the city,” adds Anil Kumar.
