Clan Earth Rebuilds Deforested Land for Every Sustainable Products Sold

It all started with a passion to serve humanity and the environment in the best possible way. Two like-minded people, when met on their social service journey discovered their goal of life. Yes, Clan Earth is a Kolkata-based business started by Priyanka Mandal and Broteen Biswas. They both decided to tackle climate change creatively through their sustainable bag packs, pouches, and wallets. Made from water-resistant cotton canvas, these bags are completely eco-friendly and Clan Earth plants 5 trees for every sustainable product sold.

Clan Earth, a Kolkata-based business founded by Priyanka Mandal and Broteen Biswas, emerges from a shared passion for serving humanity and the environment. Priyanka and her partner are not only focused on making money, but they also want to incorporate elements that will keep them excited in the future. That’s why they decided to explore other sustainable practices, and for every product they sell, they plant five trees.

Clan Earth has so far sold hundreds of and planted more than 15,000 saplings. Priyanka added, “All products and processes are sustainable. I don’t believe you can have something based on petroleum and then have a CSR wing that does sustainability — not as a new company at least.”

Priyanka says, “Tree planting is not only a need of the hour as a solution to climate change but also to protect the wildlife.”

But planting trees and ensuring their survival in a busy and polluted city environment of Kolkata was difficult. Which is why Clan Earth partnered with the oldest NGO focused on rebuilding deforested areas across the world, Eden Reforestation Projects.

At the end of every quarter, Clan Earth allocates a portion of their earnings to planting trees based on their sales record while partnering with Eden Reforestation Projects. Eden Reforestation Projects, one of the oldest non-profit organizations focused on restoring deforested areas globally, works with local communities in 67 countries, ensuring the planting is environmentally friendly.

They have a wide range of product categories:

• Carry products – It includes bags & organizers, purses, and cork wallets.
• Lifestyle products – It includes candles, bowls, masks, stationery, colors, incense cones & sticks, cleaner sets, and dental care products.
• Eco-Friendly gifts – includes all eco gift hampers. eco Rakhi gifts, eco gifts for women, eco gifts for men, and sustainable corporate gifts.

So, this Diwali season let us make Earth a better place to live for all living beings and choose a sustainable gift and be a part of something big.

Also See: EcoRight Stitching a Sustainable Future with Stylish Eco-Friendly Bags

About the Products

Priyanka is also the product designer for the brand and mentions that their bags are contemporary and designed with a youthful perspective and have small and functional pockets.

Notably, they are named after extinct or endangered animals like Koala Backpack, Rhino Duffel, and Pangolin Backpack (which is a bestseller).

Priyanka further explains, “We try to match the size and look of the animal in our design. For example, Pangolin backpacks are rolled at the end because Pangolins — the most trafficked non-human mammal — roll up into a ball when they are scared. We also have wallets named after Kiwi bird.”

A Thoughtful Packet

Not only does Clan Earth plants 5 trees for every sustainable product sold but, they also educate their customers about it. Each parcel includes a letter to each customer informing them about the five trees that are being planted on that purchase. Plus, brief information about the wildlife animal after whom that product is named along with why their survival is important. Not just this, the bag also has the picture of the artisan who made the bag.

“What I am doing with this is letting them know we are planting five trees, raising awareness on the plight of this animal, and the fact that an artisan in Kolkata made this product. And in most feedback, customers have shared how they love knowing all this,” Priyanka adds in this context.

About the Founders and the Foundation

Priyanka, during her engineering studies at IEM, actively volunteered with Make a Difference (MAD) foundation. There she was teaching skills like sewing, accounting, and handicrafts to people living in slums of Kolkata to make them financially independent.

There she met Broteen who was also volunteering for social work and with their like-minded views and opinions soon they were discussing the efforts to be made to make lives better.

They discovered that Crafting was the most popular and viable option in the area. Many girls were married at a very young age and wanted to do something to support themselves in their new and challenging situations.

Labelling the polyester and leather industry as cruel and chemically laden these self-proclaimed nature enthusiasts observed that the majority of bags in India are manufactured using these materials.

Realizing the potential to make a difference in the lives of financially disadvantaged families, the duo embarked on a mission to establish a sustainable business. Being new to entrepreneurship, they encountered numerous obstacles in their quest to find the right raw materials from various regions of India.

Priyanka says, “We also had to spend a lot of time finding a masterji (who is an artisan) to guide the workers and launched commercially in January 2020, but the COVID-19 outbreak made everything go haywire.” Finally, in January 2020, Clan Earth finally hit the market and were a hit among online shoppers.

Source: Clan Earth