When the pandemic hit, most people returned to their roots and started learning homesteading methods including baking and gardening; while others sought to make social media content and pass the time. But 24-year-old Hyderabad resident Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin set out to tackle pressing issues such as plastic pollution by taking the entrepreneurial route. He founded Bio Reform, a company using innovative biotechnology processes to make biodegradable and compostable bags from corn waste that break down into natural material within six months.
Bio Reform biodegradable bags are an eco-friendly alternative to the noxious plastic bags. These bags are made from corn waste, sugars, cellulose, and natural materials to manufacture sustainable biopolymers. These plant-based bags have replaced over six million plastic bags in the past two years.
Azhar told The Better India, “In 2019, I wondered what I was even chasing. Money? That would come even after I started focusing on solving real-life problems. Unless we have an alternative, there is no way to curb plastic usage. While big brands can afford jute and cloth bags, medium and small businesses which comprise a bulk of the Indian market continue to use plastic bags.
Image: The Better India
“One of the major reasons behind the extensive use of plastic bags is its properties. It is water resistant, thermal, durable, lightweight, and has good tensile strength. I wanted to find a solution that could mirror the properties of plastic while being eco-friendly and cheaper than paper, cloth, and jute alternatives.”
Azhar started studying different ways in which he could replace plastic with a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative. He drew inspiration from a biopolymer research paper dating back to the 1800s. He came across a biodegradable polymer, PBAT (Polybutylene adipate terephthalate), which is derived from plant-based sources like potatoes and corn. This became the turning stone in Azhar’s business endeavor.
While the ‘what’ of his task was completed, he needed to find the right equipment to process the raw material and create the final product. The ‘how’ of his journey faced several setbacks, but he overcame all the challenges with determination. He received Rs. 1 crore in funding from the Adventure Park incubator programme around the same time, which helped with the funds. At the age of 22, Azhar inaugurated his factory in Hyderabad in early 2022.
His uncle was the co-founder of the company, who had to quit the company due to some personal reasons, which led Azhar to manage his studies and the company simultaneously. After a year, he shut down the factory after it failed to sustain profits. But his determination and gumption pushed him forward. The civil engineer aced all his exams, secured funding from an investor, and revived the company.
Today, Bio Reform is making 4-5 lakh eco-friendly carry bags, biomedical bags, food pouches, book wraps, and garbage bags replacing tons of plastic bags used for these purposes. Azhar is barreling towards India’s vision of becoming single-use plastic-free. It might still be a long road but this 24-year-old has done more than the entire country united to rid the nation of plastic