Proper waste segregation and management is a matter of concern in India. People are unaware and lacking awareness among them, there has been a rapid rise in waste over the past decade. Individuals and government organizations have introduced a multitude of initiatives but still the problem persists at household level. One such man recycles dry waste and gives rewards in return that can be redeemed through the application. Customers can purchase goodies from the Ecovani website.
Goodeebag is a remarkable waste management application, initiated by Abhishek Agarwal in Hyderabad. This waste management company offers the convenience of collecting your segregated waste from your doorstep. In return, you get redeemable points that you can use for buying groceries at the Goodeebag store. Not just this, they provide all these services free of cost. They presently operates only in Hyderabad, but they are planning to expand to 2 more cities in India very soon.
Abhishek Agarwal says, “What I believe is that people need some kind of incentive to do something. So, I decided to come up with a concept where people get a reward for segregating their waste.”
Waste management in India, specifically at the household level, has been a persistent and significant issue. Government estimates from 2021 indicate that the country produces an alarming 62 tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) every year. Out of the entire amount, they only gather 80% and recycle 22% to 28% of it.
The leftover waste goes to landfills, causing more environmental problems. Reports say there are high chances of increase in the amount of MSW by around sevenfold in the next ten years, making the issue worse. These numbers show that waste segregation at a small scale is a critical issue. In India, only 30% of waste is properly separated and 60% of total plastic produced is recycled. It results in recyclable materials like plastic to end up in landfills, harming the environment.
About Gooedeebag
When discussing the operation of his company, Abhishek explains, their process is straightforward and easy. People download the app, separate their waste and then arrange a pick-up through the application. The team of collectors retrieves the waste and customers redeem their reward points via application.
The application offers different products for consumers to purchase. Goodeebag have household items and groceries available for free. They deliver the products to your home within 72 hours (about 3 days) without any delivery fees. They also collect waste and give rewards based on its weight. There is no limit to the amount of waste they can pick up.
According to Abhishek, nothing ends up in landfills. After collection, they again segregate waste at the storage units in about 40 categories like cardboard, textile plastic, paper, metals, wires, etc. Then the plastic waste gets converted into tiles in the factory. The company is collaborating with recyclers and apparel companies to whom the waste and related materials are sent.
If waste management confuses you here is a waste segregation complete guide to help you.
About the Founder
Coming from a typical Marwari family, Abhishek claims that business is in his blood. “My entire family is full of successful businessmen in various fields, so for me, I had always known that entrepreneurship was my future,” he says. Thus, this man recycles dry waste and gives rewards in return to people to encourage them to make segregating waste a daily habit.
“This is how the idea behind Goodeebag came about,” he says.
Abhishek wanted to help the environment and found that waste management at the household level was a big problem. Many households were not aware of proper waste segregation or too busy to do it. He believes that to address the persistent issue of unrecycled waste and overflowing landfills, it is crucial to identify the root cause.
“Once I had recognized the issue, a small idea sprung into my head. I started a WhatsApp group where I invited people to segregate their waste and hand it over to me in exchange for a goody. And it worked! A lot of people showed so much interest and were willing to do it for a reward. It was a new and interesting concept for them,” he adds.
Before starting Gooedeebag, Abhishek had founded a logistics company. He recalls, “Although the business was successful, I was yearning for a greater purpose in my life. I aspired to make a meaningful contribution to nature. In 13 years, I expanded the business to many cities and had a fleet of vehicles too. However, I decided to sell the company and find something that aligns with what I wanted to do.”
Source: Goodeebag