A Gurgaon-based startup, Jaggery Bags, recycles seatbelts from scrapped cars and cargo belts to make bags. The company reutilizes old seatbelts, stained cargo belts and ex-army canvas to create sustainable and durable bags.
Coming from an architectural and academic background, the cofounders of the company desired to address the issue of waste. The company was born out of a collective determination to resolve the local waste problem and come up with creative alternatives for upcycling waste.
They also addressed the issue of waste segregation, which does not happen at an individual domestic level. They also tried to make various other products, however, the only product that stood out was the bag. The old, discarded belts are cleaned, measured and dyed in different colors to make the bags.
Image: Jaggery Bags
The founders of Jaggery Bags are Gautam Malik, his wife Bhawna Dandona and his mother Dr. Usha Malik. After moving back to India from the United States in 2010, the family came across the concept of sustainability.
Gautam Malik, one of the co-founders, said;
We started in November 2015, and the company started with the intention of doing something to tackle the waste problem. We found that everywhere you go, especially the transition spaces between the suburbs and the city would be punctuated by urban and industrial waste.
After coming across the nylon cargo belts used to tie cargo in massive containers, the founders were impressed with their durability and strength. Once the production began, the company has used 4,000 meters of seatbelts and 1,000 meters of cargo belts to make bags, organizers and travel kits.
The first step towards establishing the company was to develop a well-designed and easily manageable website along with a social media presence. The company participated in museum events and other cultural festivals to grab more customers.
Via: The Logical Indian