MAY/JUNE 2019 Rs. 20
Painting
a Cleaner Future
Graviky Labs
from Dirt to Art
F
Photographs courtesy Graviky Labs
transforms harmful pollution particles into tools for artists.
By MICHAEL GALLANT
Right: A quadcopter drone surveys an industrial smokestack. Graviky Labs seeks to reduce the pollution caused by such smoke. Above: A T-shirt printed using Graviky’s Air-Ink, a black pigment created from captured air pollution. Above right: A mural created with Air-Ink in New York City, as part of a “painted with pollution” campaign.
rom using vehicles and generating power to manufacturing and mining, human activities create huge amounts of air pollutants every day. What if these microscopic pollutants could be captured, harnessed and transformed into safe tools we can use, rather than elements of the toxic air that we breathe? This is the central goal of Graviky Labs, a start-up that is helping to redefine how the world understands—and battles—air pollution. The Bengaluru-based start-up creates a product called Air-Ink, a black pigment made from the carbon soot particles left
over when fossil fuels are burned. These air pollutants are captured using a proprietary system, called Kaalink, which attaches to diesel generators and other fossil fuel chimney stacks, and filters their exhaust. Graviky also recycles pollution from other sources, depending upon their carbon content. It purifies and processes the soot, grinding it down into even smaller particles, and works with international testing agencies to ensure that all materials are safe for use. The result? A deep black ink, which has been used by over 1,000 artists around the world to create stunning drawings, murals and more.
May/June 2019
V O LU M E L X N U M B E R 3
https://span.state.gov
Courtesy Graviky Labs
2
PRABHJOT GILL © AP Images
CONTENTS 22
2
From Dirt to Art
26
8
A Cool Idea
30
11
Powered by Tides
31
Green Via Separations
34
Simpa-lifying Solar
38
Flower Power
14 16
Cleaning Through Light Sweet Solutions Solving the Burning Problem
Making a Mark With Water
16 Editor in Chief Conrad W. Turner
Reviewing Editor Karl M. Adam
Editor Deepanjali Kakati Associate Editor Suparna Mukherji Hindi Editor Giriraj Agarwal Urdu Editor Syed Sulaiman Akhtar Copy Editor Shah Md. Tahsin Usmani
Art Director/ Production Chief Hemant Bhatnagar Deputy Art Directors / Production Assistants Qasim Raza, Shah Faisal Khan
Courtesy Simpa Networks
KATHRYN FAITH
22
Measure to Manage
Front cover: An artist uses Graviky Labs’ Air-Ink, a black pigment made from the carbon soot particles left over when fossil fuels are burned. Photograph courtesy Graviky Labs.
Editorial Assistant Justina Bosco
Articles with a star may be reprinted with permission. Those without a star are copyrighted and may not be reprinted.Contact SPAN at 011-23472135 or editorspan@state.gov
34 Printed and published by David H. Kennedy on behalf of the Government of the United States of America and printed at Thomson Press India Ltd., 18/35 Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad, Haryana 121007 and published at the Public Affairs Section, American Embassy, American Center, 24 K.G. Marg, New Delhi 110001. Opinions expressed in this 44-page magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government.
Graviky states that 1.6 trillion liters of air have already been cleaned through its efforts. 4 MAY/JUNE 2019
Anirudh Sharma first brainstormed the idea for Air-Ink as a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The young scientist was visiting his home in Mumbai when he noticed black soot accumulating on his T-shirts throughout the day. “I realized this was air pollution, or sooty particulate matter, made of black particles released from the exhaust of vehicles,” Sharma told MIT News in 2017. “This is a major health issue.” Indeed, air pollution is becoming an increasingly dire concern around the world. The World Health Organization estimates that millions of people die each year as a result of exposure. Taking into account the gravity of the situation and the striking, dark color of the pollution particles, Sharma began conducting experiments upon his return to MIT. His first prototypes transformed soot from candles into ink. Further investigation led to the discovery of the way to collect and transform fossil fuel waste into a usable artistic tool. Emerging from the MIT Media Lab, Sharma co-founded Graviky Labs in India in 2016, gaining key funding through a successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. Sponsorship from a beer company helped Graviky share Air-Ink with artists around the world. These artists
created public works using the ink, some bearing the text, “This art is painted with air pollution.” Graviky’s efforts have won the company many awards and drawn international media attention. While transforming air pollution into ink for artists may sound less important when compared to the implications of the problem of global air pollution, Graviky’s work has a real impact. For example, a single pen full of Air-Ink can contain the pollution created by over two hours of a car burning diesel fuel. The company states that 1.6 trillion liters of air have already been cleaned through its efforts. In early 2017, Buff Monster, a New York City-based street artist, used Air-Ink to paint a billboard on 7th Ave and 28th Street in the city. He also painted a series of five small canvases Above: Workers sit on bags of carbon dust created by the burning of fossil fuels. Rather than releasing this pollution into the air, Graviky Labs transforms it into ink for artists. Above right: Post tailpipe particulate matter samples collected in New Delhi, Bengaluru
and Hong Kong by Graviky using Kaalink retrofit technology. It captures carbon pollution from vehicle tailpipes and diesel generators. Right: Artworks created using Air-Ink. Graviky collaborates with artists and printing companies to make carbon-negative prints.
Photographs courtesy Graviky Labs
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MAY/JUNE 2019 5
15 mm chisel tip Approximately 130 minutes of diesel car pollution
50 mm wide tip Approximately 130 minutes of diesel car pollution
2 mm round tip Approximately 50 minutes of diesel car pollution
0.7 mm round tip Approximately 40 minutes of diesel car pollution
200 ml refill Approximately 830 minutes of diesel car pollution
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APPROX 19.6 HOURS OF DIESEL CAR POLLUTION
Graviky Labs
www.graviky.com
Massachusetts Institute of Technology www.mit.edu
6 MAY/JUNE 2019
the quality and usability of the ink at first, his opinion soon changed. “The product proved to be something much better than a marketing campaign,” he says. “The color is a solid black with very little translucency, making it perfect for all surfaces. The texture of the ink is thicker than regular ink in the market, which means, it’s good when working on porous surfaces—quick drying, yet extremely durable.” Graviky represents a new frontier of environmental technology, one that operates on a creative human level, but could serve as a model for ecofriendly innovation around the world. “Graviky Labs is at the forefront of finding ingenious solutions to some of the toughest problems in our society,” says engineer, educator and Graviky advisor Nell Watson, “spinning dirt into gold.” Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City. Photographs courtesy Graviky Labs
and one large canvas. All these works with AirInk explored the idea of transformation in the city. These were later exhibited at a gallery in Soho, on Earth Day, which explained the concept behind the project. “I love working on black and white artwork, and rarely do I get a chance to work with new technology in my materials,” says Buff Monster in a statement on his website. “So, it was a great project to be involved in. It was such a unique way to turn a negative (pollution) into a positive (artwork).” Another New York-based artist, Clara Shen, says she only recently learned of Graviky’s painting-with-pollution mission. “I think it’s an ingenious idea, provided it’s somewhat safe to use and produce,” she says. “I’m very curious about it and would definitely be interested to try it in my work.” Kristopher Ho, a Hong Kong-based artist, was an early tester of Air-Ink and has used it on several projects. Although he had doubts about
Left: Graviky Labs’ Air-Ink (above left) can be used to create high-quality art in a variety of mediums. Above: Graviky retrofitted Kaalink to car engine exhaust pipes in Bengaluru, capturing about 95 percent of the particulate matter pollution without inducing back-pressure. Right: Anirudh Sharma, co-founder of Graviky.
MAY/JUNE 2019 7
A Cool Idea By BURTON BOLLAG
American start-up
Promethean Power Systems offers novel thermal energy-based rapid chilling solutions to dairy farmers in India.
T Photographs courtesy Promethean Power Systems
wice a day, most dairy farmers in India’s villages milk their cows and bring this liquid to a collection point, from where it goes to the market. But in a tropical country like India, spoilage is a major concern and a part of the production is regularly lost. A company based in Somerville, Massachusetts, has come up with an innovative technology that is changing the face of dairy production in India. Since 2013, leading dairies have been installing Promethean Power Systems’ rapid milk chillers, which lower the temperature of the liquid from around 35 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius in a few minutes. This rapid cooling keeps the milk from getting spoiled and preserves its top quality. The best part is
8 MAY/JUNE 2019
that Promethean’s rapid and conventional chilling solutions don’t use a single drop of diesel—they are thermal energy-based. The chillers, mostly purchased by dairy processing companies, are placed in villages. This lets farmers cool their milk quickly after it’s derived, instead of having to transport it to some centralized collection point—a journey that could take several hours and increase the chances of spoilage. Till now, it had been prohibitively expensive to place a cooler in each village. Intermittent electricity supply necessitated a diesel back-up generator for each cooler, which turned out to be costly as well as polluting. But the new system works with as little as
https://coolectrica.com
U.S. National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov
four hours of electricity supply per day. The novel part of Promethean’s technology is its patented thermal storage system—a closed, round container, typically a little more than a meter high and a meter across, containing a water solution that acts as a sort of high-efficiency battery for cold temperature storage. The water solution, a proprietary mixture developed with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and other funders, is much more efficient at holding the cold than ordinary water. The cold water that gradually collects in the bottom of the container is sent through the jacket of the cooler to quickly lower the temperature of the milk. “In many areas where we’ve installed the
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Promethean Power Systems
system, milk production has gone up by 50 percent or more because farmers have more confidence that the milk will get to market,” says Jiten Ghelani, Promethean’s chief executive officer. He adds that the higher quality of the fast-cooled milk has allowed some dairy companies to start producing higher value products like various cheeses and ultra high-temperature (UHT) milk, which have a shelf life of six to nine months. Promethean, which was founded in 2007, was originally created to market a new type of solar power microgenerator, which focused the sun’s heat to create steam to run a generator. The company won second place in the 2007 MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition energy track, a business plan competition
Above: Sam White (left), co-founder and co-director of Promethean Power Systems, which offers thermal energy-based rapid and conventional milk chillers (right). Far right: Employees of Hatsun Agro dairy company check the temperature of milk in Promethean’s rapid chiller.
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Promethean’s chilling system works with as little as four hours of electricity supply per day.
Photographs courtesy Promethean Power Systems
Below: A factory of Promethean Power Systems. Bottom: Promethean’s rapid milk chiller being used at a site in Punjab. Bottom right: The Promethean exhibit at the 2017 India International Dairy Expo in Mumbai.
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sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The company founders used the $10,0000 (approximately Rs. 6.9 lakhs) prize money to travel to India in 2008 to seek customers for their solar power generator. But, they soon realized that the device was too complicated to maintain. They also discovered the pressing need for a low-cost technology to chill milk. For the next few years, they worked with crucial support from several U.S. foundations, to develop their thermal storage system. “We ended up following a trail of inventions and discoveries that ultimately led to a technology that would solve a big problem—a problem we didn’t even know existed” when the company started, says Sam White, company co-founder and co-director. Promethean is a social enterprise—it is a for-profit business created to meet the economic and social needs of millions of small dairy farmers. The company has now sold over 1,000 milk chilling units at about
$10,000 each to over 20 customers, mainly dairy processors, including Mother Dairy, Amul and Hatsun Agro. Promethean also offers a solar add-on option to complement the thermal storage system and eliminate the use of diesel genset at the chilling or collection center. The Promethean Solar Pack, accompanied with a small battery bank, can meet the energy needs of small miscellaneous loads at the centers. Thus, the milk tankers don’t need to wait for milk collection even if there is no grid power at the collection centers. Promethean is now developing new products, including a cooler for fruits and vegetables. What has “really kept me motivated,” says Ghelani, “is to see how we can make more technology and products adapted for the rural market in a country like India.” Burton Bollag is a freelance journalist living in Washington, D.C.
Powered by Tides By CARRIE LOEWENTHAL MASSEY
Courtesy Kenny Breuer
The water wing technology designed by Brown University engineers represents a new frontier in renewable energy.
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enewable energy is a key component of today’s power supply. While renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectricity continue to gain importance, the search is on for more reliable, secure, automated and powerful renewable energy technologies. Enter the water wing. Designed by a team of researchers at Brown University, Rhode Island, the water wing, also known as a hydrofoil, catches the energy harnessed in shallow tidal waters. Here, water ebbs and flows the fastest and, therefore, has high energy-generating potential. “Marine power is reliable, predictable and has a high energy density,” says Kenny Breuer, professor of engineering at the university. “It’s a perfect complement for other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.” The team’s approach to harnessing marine power involves attaching a wing to a central pole, on which it moves up and down. At the bottom, the position of the wing causes the water to push it upward, and at the top of the
The technology is very robust and relatively low-tech. That means, it can be ideally implemented in remote areas.
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pole, the orientation pushes the wing downward. This motion fuels a generator. Additionally, the wing continuously optimizes its tidal power conversion efficiency by using an onboard control software, which responds to real-time measurements. The computer algorithm monitors and controls the fine motion of the wing for maximum efficiency. This helps to constantly search for the best movement, given that tidal currents change continuously. The inspiration for hydrofoil came from both Breuer’s and his colleague, Assistant Professor Shreyas Mandre’s work on fluid mechanics of a pitching plate, funded by a grant from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Breuer’s own work on animal flight, particularly of bats. Breuer says he “was inspired by the flapping motions that bats use during flight.” Breuer and Mandre received a pilot grant for one year from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This was ultimately expanded into a three-year grant, completed in 2017, to develop the technology and build the wing prototype.
and, particularly, our students,” says Breuer. Following the initial success of the project, the team is now looking for funding to embark on the necessary next steps. “We have had some informal industrial interest in the technology, but we need to demonstrate some additional aspects related to reliability and large-scale operation before companies invest. We are currently looking for funding to do those demonstrations. In the meantime, there are some small-scale experiments and computations by Professor Jennifer Franck, who was at Brown but is now on the faculty of University of WisconsinMadison, aimed at pushing the technology and the underlying science forward.” This ongoing effort, once it comes to fruition, will enhance the reach and impact of clean energy, Breuer hopes. “My goal is that this technology should form an important component in a mix of sustainable energy sources in the future.”
Brown University
www.brown.edu
Leading Edge
https://bit.ly/2WLrtY9
ARPA-E
https://arpa-e.energy.gov
University of Wisconsin-Madison
www.wisc.edu
Photographs courtesy Kenny Breuer
Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York Citybased freelance writer.
Far left: The test plates used to assess biofouling of different materials. Six basic materials were used in the fabrication of the hydrofoil system, and the team tested three coatings on each surface as well as one control, which was not coated. The pristine test matrix shown in the picture was immersed into the ocean and withdrawn four weeks later to be evaluated for factors like biofouling and corrosion. Left: Kenny Volkmann (left), instrumentation engineer at Leading Edge, a company founded by Brown University researchers, and Jen Cardona, chief engineer of the project (right), with Shreyas Mandre (second from right) and Kenny Breuer, two of the faculty directors of the project. Left: The hydrofoil team adjusts the position of the water wing and the generator in the water.
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“The original grant was successful in that it demonstrated the viability of the technology,” says Breuer. “The technology is very robust and relatively low-tech. That means, it can be ideally implemented in remote areas, where wind and solar might not reach or might be difficult to install or maintain.” The hydrofoil’s design also allays concerns about interruptions from commercial and recreational shipping traffic and harm to wildlife. Although it operates in often-busy bays and inlets, it can lie flat on the sea floor when ships need to pass. Also, its flapping fin-like motion is not as violent as that of a spinning turbine, making it less dangerous for marine animals. Breuer and his team had the opportunity to test the technology out, with satisfying results. “When we installed our second prototype (“Joule”) in the Cape Cod Canal, there was a very exciting moment when we released the brake, and the device started up, just as we predicted, and we were generating power! To see our plans in action was a very exciting moment for all of us—faculty, staff
Cleaning Through Light
A
By JASON CHIANG
darsh Shukla is an entrepreneur and technology enthusiast, driven to solve mass problems through innovative technologies. This passion led to the founding of YNA Enterprises in New Delhi. One of its cutting-edge products is Photolite, a transparent coating aimed at reducing the air pollution in cities by using visible light. The coating contains a light-activated material that transforms any building surface into an air purifier. This helps improve indoor and outdoor air quality of the surrounding area, as well as reduce electricity consumption and dependence on air purifiers. Shukla has received training at the Nexus Incubator start-up hub at the American Center New Delhi, a collaboration with the IC2 Institute of The University of Texas at Austin. Excerpts from an interview. Could you share a little bit about your background and how you decided to work toward mitigating air pollution? I was raised in Lucknow, where I studied electrical engineering. I later moved to New Delhi. The daily challenges of my life in the city developed my interest in solving the basic problems in society by using technology. My journey of working on the air pollution crisis started with one of my holiday trips to the Himalayas, where I experienced fresh and clean air. After spending two weeks there, while I was coming back to New Delhi, I started feeling suffocated and affected by the bad smell in the air. That incident made me realize how much pollution we are dealing with in our daily lives.
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Adarsh Shukla's
Photolite surface enhancement coating helps curb air pollution using visible light.
Are there any lesser-known aspects of air pollution that you hope to raise more awareness about? Every time we talk about air pollution, we think of lung diseases, allergies and deaths. But, reactive gases like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are silent killers that affect slowly and degrade the decision-making ability of our brain. These pollutants are creating a high risk of mental illness in children and dementia in the elderly. Also, commercial workplaces with inefficient indoor environments are highly exposed to these pollutants and result in the loss of annual productivity per employee. Could you please tell us how you came up with Photolite? The main idea behind Photolite was to develop a sustainable, scalable and easilyapplicable solution to control the air quality in cities. Keeping this in mind, I started researching air filters, and ended up experimenting with nanotechnology and biochemistry. I have created a transparent high-
Nexus Incubator https://startupnexus.net/
Photographs courtesy Adarsh Shukla
https://bit.ly/2TrBAz3
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YNA Enterprises
Above, top and top right: Application of Adarsh Shukla’s (left) Photolite coating can transform any building surface into a light-activated air purifier, thereby reducing indoor and outdoor air pollution.
performance coating, which can turn any building surface into a light-activated air purifier. It is non-toxic in nature and can even be applied on glass surfaces without affecting their transparency. Photolite is a very effective solution to reduce harmful reactive gases in indoor environments and provide protection from mold and viruses. What are some of the practical applications of Photolite in everyday life? We spend about 80 to 90 percent of our time indoors. Imagine a world where the indoor environment can improve our quality of life and health, and even make us more productive. Photolite can be an
easy solution to help shape a great indoor environment, while we’re building or renovating homes, schools and commercial spaces. Its easy application and non-toxic nature makes it accessible to even a non-technical person facing the problem of dirty bathroom tiles, mold or open-kitchen odors. What were some of the biggest takeaways from your association with the Nexus Incubator? The Nexus Incubator was an icebreaker opportunity that connected me with the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India. The program helped me in creating frameworks through one-on-one mentorship and in understanding the
difference between a technology and a problem-solving product. Looking to the future, what goals do you have for Photolite? Which other global environmental or health challenges are you most excited to take on? With Photolite, I aim to bring solutions that can help shape better, productive environments and improve the quality of life. I am highly fascinated by the vast oceans, and I would love to find ways to use this gift of nature for a better future. Jason Chiang is a freelance writer based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
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Sweet
Solutions By STEVE FOX
Above, right, center right and far right: The PETROSS team collects samples from engineered sugarcane to extract the oil (second from far right) that can be used for biodiesel production, as part of a pilot-scale research study. The project has important possibilities for India, which is a major producer of sugarcane and suffers from high levels of air pollution.
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Photographs by KATHRYN FAITH
A multi-institutional team led by University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign has demonstrated that sugarcane can be genetically enhanced to increase the amount of oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production.
CLAIRE BENJAMIN /University of Illinois
T
he millions of cars, trucks, trains and airplanes that transport us and our belongings also generate an unfortunate byproduct, greenhouse gases, which contribute to air pollution and global warming. But, what if an increasing portion of our energy needs are not met by oil but by vast fields of green plants, with the added advantage of creating jobs for farmers and converting little-used land into a profitable resource? That’s the vision of Professor Vijay Singh, director of Integrated Bioprocessing
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Photographs by KATHRYN FAITH
Sugarcane, which is grown in many parts of the world, has a number of attractive characteristics as a bioenergy source.
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Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and deputy director for science and technology at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. His university leads a multi-institutional team of research scientists, which has demonstrated that sugarcane can be genetically enhanced to increase the amount of oil in its leaves and stems, which can be used to create biodiesel, an alternative to petroleum-based fuels. The project, Plants Engineered to Replace Oil In Sugarcane and Sweet Sorghum (PETROSS), has important possibilities for India, which is a major producer of sugarcane and suffers from high levels of air pollution. “These crops are going to be renewable and domestically produced, which means that they could have a significant impact on the amount of diesel India has to import, and make the country less reliant on foreign oil,” says Singh, who is the commercialization lead for the project. “This would also provide jobs to farmers and give them a new crop to grow on land that may not be under cultivation now.” Competitively-priced biodiesel has long been a goal of plant scientists because the fuel provides engine performance generally comparable to diesel, but with reduced emissions. However, along with technical obstacles, a major barrier has been cost. For example, soybeans are used in the United States to produce biodiesel, but it’s currently more profitable for farmers to use it as food and feed product. By focusing on geneticallymodified sugarcane, which can be grown more cost-effectively, the PETROSS team is opening up the possibility of creating a major new source of biodiesel that would be profitable for farmers to cultivate. Sugarcane, which is grown in many parts of the world, has a number of attractive characteristics as a bioenergy source. It can be grown on wet, hilly land not suitable for other crops, and is very efficient in terms of its ability to convert sunlight into chemical energy stored in the plant. For example, one study found that engineered sugarcane can produce as much as 17 to 20 barrels of oil per acre compared with one barrel of oil obtained from soybeans. While it is a source of sugar and related products like molasses, mass production of biodiesel from sugarcane does not have serious food security implications. This might be a consideration if massive amounts of soybeans, which are
https://petross.illinois.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign https://illinois.edu
U.S. Department of Energy www.energy.gov
Left and far left: The PETROSS team genetically enhances sugarcane and sweet sorghum to naturally produce large amounts of oil, a sustainable source of biofuel. MAY/JUNE 2019 19
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PETROSS
20 MAY/JUNE 2019 Photographs by KATHRYN FAITH
Right: Vijay Singh of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the commercialization lead for the multiinstitutional PETROSS project. Left and below: By focusing on genetically-modified sugarcane, which can be grown more costeffectively, the PETROSS team is opening up the possibility of creating a new source of biodiesel that would be profitable for farmers to cultivate.
Courtesy Vijay Singh
consumed by humans and animals, were diverted into biofuel production. Singh’s team is also working on efficient production of biodiesel from sweet sorghum, which has high sugar content. The other PETROSS institutions are University of Florida, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Brookhaven National Lab. The project is funded by ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) within the U.S. Department of Energy. The PETROSS program, whose team has been able to extract jet fuel (ethanol) from sugarcane, has attracted support from the U.S. Department of Energy in the form of longterm research grants, as well as inquiries from companies interested in the commercial potential of sugarcane-based biodiesel. “The (Department of Energy) grant is very comprehensive, covering the sustainability of and economics of these crops—what would be the costs of this biodiesel compared with other renewable resources—and also what would be the effects on greenhouse gas emissions,” says Singh. “There is tremendous interest in what we are doing,” he adds. “We have also received investment proposals for collaboration from people wanting to know when it will be possible to grow these crops and produce the oil we are talking about. For now, we are still moving forward with the research portion, but we are advancing toward a time when we can produce more oil from the same amount of land.” PETROSS’ work is continuing through a new project, Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane (ROGUE), with support from the Department of Energy. Singh cautions that while the potential of PETROSS crops is enormous, the results won’t be seen for some time.
“This is a genetically-modified crop, which means that to get it approved, we have to work with a number of government agencies before the crop can be produced commercially,” he says. “It might be 10 years or so before we actually see this in a farmer’s field.” There is no single solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, Singh notes, but developing viable alternatives to petroleumbased fuels moves us closer to a greener, cleaner planet. Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.
Competitively-priced biodiesel has long been a goal of plant scientists because the fuel provides engine performance generally comparable to diesel, but with reduced emissions.
MAY/JUNE 2019 21
Solving the
Burning Problem
CHANNI ANAND © AP Images
By MICHAEL GALLANT
22 MAY/JUNE 2019
Kriya Labs,
a New Delhi-based start-up, transforms agricultural waste into a valuable resource to make paper and biodegradable products.
Photographs courtesy Kriya Labs
PRABHJOT GILL © AP Images
W
hen paddy farmers in India harvest their crops, they gather the rice that will feed people everywhere in the country. But, the harvest also leaves behind millions of tons of crop stubble, seemingly useless plant material that fuels countless disposal fires. The result? Suffocating air pollution, and a major environmental problem that needs to be solved. Pracheer Dutta was a student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi when he
became aware of the issue. While researching for an experiment in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk market, he and his fellow students found it difficult to breathe due to the smog blanketing the area. “Our throats were choking and our eyes were burning. We wondered what was causing so much pollution,” says Pracheer, who prefers to be addressed by his first name. “We researched and found that, apart from vehicular Left and above left: Burning of crop stubble after harvesting paddy is considered one of the major causes of air pollution in India. Above center and above: Kriya Labs turns rice straw into a multipurpose, biodegradable pulp, which can then be used to make ecofriendly plates as well as other products.
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EVIL ATTITUDE
major issue when it comes to pollution. We are trying to solve this by creating a model where the farmers responsible for burning become stakeholders in adding value to rice straw and, hence, are incentivized to not burn it.
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PRABHJOT GILL Š AP Images
Agro-w waste burning is a
Courtesy Kriya Labs
MANOJK
manufacturing plants from all over India. Ankur Kumar, another co-founder of Kriya Labs, describes the technology as having global potential. “Agro-waste burning is a major issue when it comes to pollution,” he says. “We are trying to solve this by creating a model where the farmers responsible for burning become stakeholders in adding value to rice straw and, hence, are incentivized to not burn it.” Kriya Labs’ success is attributable not just to its team’s creativity and technical expertise, but also to a strong sense of business and responsibility. “We are social entrepreneurs, who believe in creating businesses that have a social impact,” says Pracheer. Its members have also received specialized business mentorship via programs like those of the Nexus Incubator start-up hub, a collaboration between American Center New Delhi and the IC² Institute of The University of Texas at Austin. Pracheer says it helped the company work through difficult decisions, and better articulate its goals and strategies. “At Nexus, we see many ideas on how to handle agro-waste,” says Erik Azulay, director of the incubator. “What made Kriya Labs different is that it came at this problem from an entrepreneurial perspective, with a specific end product in mind as well as customers who would buy that product. These are exactly the types of innovators we like to see at the Nexus Incubator.” For aspiring entrepreneurs who want to follow Kriya Labs’ example, of trying to solve environmental problems with technology and innovation, Pracheer advises choosing a vision, taking a risk and pursuing with enthusiasm.
Left: When rice stubble is burned, charred remains like those shown in the image are left behind, and dangerous pollutants are released into the air (above far left). Above center and above: Kriya Labs develops products and processes to create ecofriendly items from waste natural materials and fibers.
Kriya Labs www.kriyalabs.co.in
Nexus Incubator https://startupnexus.net/
IIT Delhi www.iitd.ac.in
Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City. MAY/JUNE 2019 25
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pollution, a major source is the burning of agro-waste in the neighboring states.” He calculated that about 20 million tons of rice straw were being burned every year in Haryana and Punjab alone, filling the air with smoke and harmful particles. Luckily, Pracheer and his team saw not just a brewing environmental issue, but also an opportunity to help, through innovation. “If we are able to convert this rice straw into a product that fetches enough market value,” he says, “we can use that to incentivize the farmers to not burn it.” The result of that epiphany was Kriya Labs, a New Delhi-based start-up dedicated to turning this idea into reality. “We use the rice straw to make cellulosic pulp,” says Pracheer, who serves as the company’s chief operating officer. “That pulp can, then, be used to make products like paper and disposable tableware.” Kriya Labs is currently focusing its efforts on selling this pulp to manufacturers of ecofriendly plates. Eating utensils made from the pulp are 100 percent biodegradable, says Pracheer. The use of these utensils also reduces the waste created by single-use plastic tableware. Kriya Labs’ efforts have gained significant visibility and media coverage, as well as nationwide interest in its services. As the business continues to gain momentum, Pracheer has ambitious plans for the future. He expects the company to create its first commercial manufacturing plant within months, with more plants to follow. “We will branch out into other markets like packaging and textiles,” he says. The company’s business model also includes empowering local, rural entrepreneurs to set up their own manufacturing units. So far, Pracheer describes, the company has received over 70 requests to set up
Measure to
ALTAF QADRI © AP Images
By STEVE FOX
Right: Joshua Apte monitors pollution levels on his laptop as he travels in an autorickshaw during rush hour in New Delhi (above far right).
26 MAY/JUNE 2019
AMLANMATHUR/iStock/Getty Images
Manage
Fulbright-Nehru Fellow
Joshua Apte’s research group at The University of Texas at Austin is part of a collaborative effort to understand the relationships between urban air pollutant emissions, population exposure and human health.
Y
ou can’t manage what you don’t measure” is a popular phrase in management consulting. So, while it’s widely known that the air in New Delhi, as well as in many other major cities around the world, is badly polluted, just that knowledge is not sufficient. To effectively combat air pollution and improve public health, city planners, air quality regulators, health care providers and others need precise information about the different
To share articles go to https://span.state.gov MAY/JUNE 2019 27
MANISH SWARUP © AP Images
28 MAY/JUNE 2019
Courtesy Joshua Apte
types of pollutants and how they interact. “The bottom line is that without accurate measurement, we are flying blind in terms of understanding the sources of air pollution and what we can do about them,” says Joshua Apte, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Apte was a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 2010. “International collaboration is essential to address these problems. So, it’s fortunate that Indian and American scientists are working closely together to get a handle on air pollution and its sources.” These scientists are tracking air pollution in cities—Apte’s area of focus—and in the sky, where Sagnik Dey, associate professor at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi, leads an effort to measure India’s air pollution from space using satellites. “Satellites provide a wealth of information about the changes in Earth’s environment, which is more important for India...as we do not have robust observational systems in sectors such as air pollution,” says Dey. “Air pollution is not limited to the Delhi region, but is at alarming levels in the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain, where more than 700 million people live,” he says. “Air pollution has been increasing in many Tier II and Tier III cities. And, air pollution is very high in rural areas as well. So, the belief that it is an urban problem is not true for India.” The other collaborators for this effort
Above: Joshua Apte, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin. Below: Sagnik Dey, associate professor at IIT Delhi.
Courtesy Sagnik Dey
International collaboration is essential to address these problems. So, it’s fortunate that Indian and American scientists are working closely together to get a handle on air pollution and its sources.
one spot. Apte’s group is broadening scientists’ overall understanding of air pollution in India, and elsewhere, by integrating findings from lower-cost mobile sensors mounted in vehicles that move throughout cities. “Mobile measurements help fill the gaps in our understanding of what people are breathing and what the sources are,” says Apte. “As we become more sophisticated in our measuring, we will be able to make the findings much more compelling. For example, we would be able to map the air pollution levels in front of someone’s home.” Apte and his collaborators believe that the solutions to India’s air pollution problems must be based on accurate and comprehensive research, of the kind they are pursuing. “Science needs to be deeply integrated into how we measure environmental problems as well as the regulatory measures we adopt,” he says. “Air pollution imposes tremendous costs on society, but it’s not an easy problem to solve. We need science in order to develop effective air pollution regulations and to see whether the policies we adopt are effective or not,” adds Apte. “Our entire focus,” says Dey, “is to generate strategic knowledge for the policymakers.”
Apte Research Group
http://apte.caee. utexas.edu/
Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship
www.usief.org.in/ Fellowships.aspx
The University of Texas at Austin
www.utexas.edu
IIT Delhi
www.iitd.ac.in
Steve Fox is a freelance writer, former newspaper publisher and reporter based in Ventura, California.
MAY/JUNE 2019 29
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include Gazala Habib, an associate professor at IIT Delhi, and Sarath Guttikunda, founder and director of the website www.urbanemissions.info, a repository of information, research and analysis related to air pollution in India. A major focus of Apte’s research is particulate matter. These microscopic solids, much smaller than the width of a human hair, cause a wide variety of health problems when inhaled. “We care about all pollutants. But, particulate matter is the one we care about the most, because it’s estimated that between 7 and 12 percent of all human deaths on the planet are caused by particulate matter, and the impact on public health in India is enormous,” says Apte. “How we solve the problems of particulate matter in Indian cities is complicated because there are so many different sources, including vehicular traffic; construction; electric power generation; industries; diesel generators; the use of wood, coal and dung as fuel for stoves; the burning of crop fields...there are a dozen different pollution sources in most Indian cities.” Apte and other researchers rely on electronic monitoring devices, or sensors, to measure levels of air pollution, how they vary over time, and how they respond to mitigation efforts. But, in addition to being expensive and, therefore, relatively scarce, most air pollution sensors are static—they are installed in a certain location. Thus, they can only measure air pollution in that
WithWater Making a Mark
T By RANJITA BISWAS
American water technology company Xylem works to mitigate pollution to provide safe drinking water and ensure its sustainable use.
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Xylem India
www.xylem.com/ en-in/
30 MAY/JUNE 2019
Photographs courtesy Xylem India
he United Nations World Water Development Report 2018 says that the global demand for water has been increasing at the rate of about one percent per year over the past decades because of factors like population growth and economic development. The report adds, “The vast majority of the growth in demand for water will occur in countries with developing or emerging economies.” In such a scenario, it is imperative to find ways to use the available water more efficiently. Smart water technology is, thus, getting increasing attention from organizations and researchers around the globe. New York-headquartered Xylem is one such technology provider. It enables customers worldwide to transport, treat and test water in different settings. One of the over 150 countries where Xylem works to provide safe drinking water and tackle other water management issues is India. “Solving water problems in India is a key priority for Xylem,” says H. Balasubramaniam, managing director at Xylem India. “At present, Xylem India has technology center campuses in Vadodara and Bengaluru; a state-of-the-art assembly and testing facility in Vadodara; and sales offices in Bengaluru, Noida, Thane and Pune.” He emphasizes that the company’s products and services span the entire cycle of water, from watershed to public utility to end-user and back again. “We move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment, serving the public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services sectors,” he says. “Our innovative technologies, equipment and expertise help water operators manage water more effectively. [This] helps make water more affordable and accessible, and communities more resilient and water-secure.” Energy generation from water is also part of Xylem’s smart technology solutions. “Xylem has supported green, renewable hydropower around the world for over 35 years via a family of submersible turbines,” says Balasubramaniam. “Designed for small hydro plants, our turbines
Top and above: Through its corporate citizenship program, Watermark, Xylem India provides clean drinking water and training on water hygiene to students in Bengaluru.
are extremely adaptable, require low initial investment, offer long lifetime and reliability, and require little superstructure.” Xylem and Planet Water Foundation, its nongovernmental organization (NGO) partner, work closely to provide safe water access and hygiene education to schools, communities and households across India. Together, they have installed local water systems that are providing clean drinking water to around 116,000 people. As part of its corporate citizenship program, called Watermark, Xylem has collaborated with Planet Water Foundation and Manchester City Football Club to build clean water filtration towers at two government primary schools in Bengaluru. “The organizations, along with local Cityzens Giving NGO partner Magic Bus, teamed up to deliver training to young leaders, with a focus on how education on water hygiene and sanitation can be taught through football,” says Balasubramaniam. Xylem also works with NGO partner Water for People in West Bengal to promote the development of high-quality drinking water and sanitation services for communities in need. With the help of Xylem Watermark grants and volunteers, Water for People has provided reliable and safe water service to about 400,000 people in the state. Ranjita Biswas is a Kolkata-based journalist. She also translates fiction and writes short stories.
Separations By JASON CHIANG
Shreya Dave’s
Via Separations could eliminate up to 90 percent of the energy used in industrial processes to separate chemicals for the food and beverage industry.
To share articles go to https://span.state.gov MAY/JUNE 2019 31
Photographs courtesy Shreya Dave
Green Via
The energy consumed in the production of some of the things we use every day, like rubber and plastic bags, could be drastically reduced.
E
normous amounts of energy are used during the industrial processes to separate chemicals for the food, beverages, drugs and other industries. A new filtration technology, pioneered by Shreya Dave during her Ph.D. research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), now aims to eliminate up to 90 percent of this energy use. Excerpts from an interview with Dave, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Massachusettsbased start-up, Via Separations.
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What developed your interest in the field of science, especially climate change? I was fortunate to have an awesome science teacher growing up, Mr. Griffin, who totally changed the world for me, in terms of sustainability and climate change, well before “An Inconvenient Truth” and other educational resources were available. My parents also encouraged me to learn about the world around me. I remember flipping through the newspaper when I was in high school, always searching for the one science article every week that mentioned climate change. We’ve definitely come a long way since then.
Via Separations
www.viaseparations.com
MIT
www.mit.edu
32 MAY/JUNE 2019
How did you discover the Via NUfiltration platform that eventually led to Via Separations? When I was a graduate student at MIT, we were working to develop a water desalination membrane— pulling salt away from water—to help create fresh water. We worked with something called graphene oxide. It was a really valuable research experience that taught me a lot about the material sciences. But, at the end of the day, the cost of this material was
Photographs courtesy Shreya Dave
Far left: Shreya Dave presents her filtration method as an honoree of MIT Innovators Under 35. Left: The Via NUfiltration platform introduces a new material, graphene oxide, for nanoscale molecular filtration.
relatively high, and was not going to really change the price of water because of the many outside market forces. Later on, I came across an article in a journal about chemical separations, and how almost 12 percent of U.S. energy consumption is spent on thermal separations like distillation. It made me connect the idea of graphene oxide that we had been researching, and reconsidering that filtering process with a different set of industrial-scale process. After speaking to a bunch of different customers, we concluded that our graphene oxide filter could have a big impact and possibly eliminate 90 percent of the energy used in thermal separations. Could you briefly explain how the Via NUfiltration platform works? The majority of chemical separations are done thermally. The analogy I would like to use here is that of boiling off all the water in a pot of pasta, instead of pouring it through a strainer. Using a strainer would be much more efficient, and save you time and energy. Our focus was essentially to develop the membranes and materials to create a new type of “strainer” to facilitate chemical separations. Ceramic membranes, which have been used in the past, can only separate molecules and compounds so small. The Via NUfiltration platform introduces a new material—graphene oxide—for nanoscale molecular filtration. Why did you decide to focus on the food and beverage industry?
The food and beverage industry stood out to us for a couple of reasons. First, it is very innovative and moves very quickly on new technologies when they are to its advantage. The second big reason is that the industry really understands membranes and filters. For us, it saves a lot of time not having to educate the customer on the technology. It’s a very compelling market for a start-up company, since food is such an important global resource. Could you share any update about the progress made with prototyping or real-world testing? We’ve been able to scale up the technology and deliver a pilot product, which is very exciting. At this point, we’ve been able to answer virtually all of the questions that are science-based. Now, it’s a matter of focusing on the engineering side and further implementation. In the future, what other industries would you like to explore with Via Separations? The energy consumed in the production of some of the things we use every day, like rubber and plastic bags, could be drastically reduced. This could mean a drop in energy consumption or even an increase in production. The petrochemical industry has some interesting applications; there are some important gas separation processes that we would like to address one day. Jason Chiang is a freelance writer based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. MAY/JUNE 2019 33
Simpa-lifying
Solar By PAROMITA PAIN
Bengaluru-based
Simpa Networks
sells solar-as-a-service to energy-poor households and micro-enterprises in rural India.
I
n 2013, when Piyush Mathur returned to India after a successful private equity career abroad, he wanted to work in a social- and developmentoriented field. “I have an extensive background in finance,” he says, “which I thought I could use to move big rocks on the development front, possibly working for a development finance institution.” He, then, came across the Bengaluru-based Simpa Networks. Founded in 2011 by Paul Needham, Jacob Winiecki and Michael MacHarg, three entrepreneurs passionate about alternative energy, Simpa sells solar power systems, with financing, to households and shops. Mathur was intrigued by the idea of Simpa. He realized that increasing access to affordable energy was as much a matter of accessibility as it was of finance, and joined the company as the chief financial officer. “On the surface, it seems like it is a solar business,” says Mathur, who now serves as the chief executive officer of Simpa, “but it solves the financial access problem at the
34 MAY/JUNE 2019
Above: Piyush Mathur, chief executive officer of Simpa Networks. Above right: Simpa’s customers make small initial payments to have the solar photovoltaic systems installed. Then, it is a pay-as-you-go system,
using its prepaid metering and mobile payments technology (far right). Right: Simpa uses a direct sales channel to take the solar devices to the people, as well as get information about customer needs and their ability to pay.
Photographs courtesy Simpa Networks
To share articles go to https://span.state.gov MAY/JUNE 2019 35
We package solar energy devices with point-of-sale financing and doorstep service, which makes it easy and affordable for the customers to go solar.
36 MAY/JUNE 2019
same time as energy access. If people can bear the high upfront cost, they can buy solar power even if they do not get subsidized electricity through the grid. However, they can’t bear this high upfront cost.” Simpa, a name derived from “simple payments,” works on this principle of keeping access to solar energy simple, teamed with efficient customer service. Customers make small initial payments to have the solar energy systems installed, and then, it is a pay-as-you-go system for the electricity. These small payments for energy services add up toward the total cost and, once fully paid, customers own the systems. In 2016, Simpa received a grant from the Millennium Alliance for expanding solar-as-a-service to lower-income households and microenterprises in rural India. The Millennium Alliance is a partnership between the
Photographs courtesy Simpa Networks
Right: Simpa’s agents, or “urja mitras,” identify shops and homes that can benefit from the use of solar energy, and connect to the people concerned to find out more about their needs. Below and below right: Simpa offers a range of solar energy solutions, such as for lighting and cooling, to households and small businesses that are off the electrical grid.
governments of the United States and India, which provides support to innovators. Simpa aims to make solar power available to the homes and organizations that are off the electrical grid in the country. It has deployed over 60,000 solar home systems in the last four years in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. “We package solar energy devices with point-of-sale financing and doorstep service, which makes it easy and affordable for the customers to go solar,” says Mathur. “We solved the accessibility aspect of it by focusing on the affordability issue. We used a direct sales channel to take the solar devices to the people, as well as get information about customer needs and their ability to pay. All consumers can pay in installments. They do not have to pay the full price upfront.” Simpa recruits local sales agents in the cities, and it is these agents who are the
Left and above: The agents and customer care team of Simpa Networks make it easier for people to access and use solar energy systems.
ensure that every problem is resolved as fast as possible. They also collect the installments during these visits.” Mathur says Simpa’s financial model is a strong and viable one. “Today, we have relationships with organizations like OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation) and ADB (Asian Development Bank),” he says. Earlier, Simpa would take the loans from banks like ADB and pass them onto customers. Today, the company is partnering with local commercial banks to provide financing for solar devices. “If you asked me to define my achievement,” says Mathur, “I would say that building up this sector and making it financially viable is something I am proud of.”
Simpa Networks http://simpanetworks.com/
Millennium Alliance https://mill-all.com
Paromita Pain is an assistant professor of Global Media Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.
MAY/JUNE 2019 37
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backbone of the company. “We recruit our sales agents very carefully,” says Mathur. “They have to be from the local areas, have a genuine desire to have a social impact on their communities and have that hunger to promote [solar power] adoption.” These agents, or “urja mitras,” identify shops and homes that can benefit from the use of solar energy. They speak to the people concerned and find out more about their needs. For example, a person may be closing his shop at sunset because of unreliable electricity supply. An agent will explain to him what a Simpa solar system does and its advantages. Each unit costs between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 35,000. “Customers pay about 10 percent of the cost initially and start using the products,” says Mathur. “Our customer care team members then visit every home or establishment that uses the products and
Photographs courtesy HelpUsGreen
38 MAY/JUNE 2019
Ankit Agarwal (left) and Karan Rastogi, co-founders of HelpUsGreen, which transforms floral waste into ecofriendly products.
Flower Power
I
By RANJITA BISWAS
HelpUsGreen
creates a range of products made from reprocessed floral and agro-waste, including an ecofriendly substitute for thermocol.
ndia has thousands of places of worship, big and small, spread across the country. And, people offer tons of flowers, along with sweets and fruits, every day. Once the rituals are over, these flowers and garlands are discarded. But, Kanpur-based HelpUsGreen has developed a novel way of turning this floral waste into ecofriendly products.
The flowers are handcrafted into charcoalfree incense sticks and cones, organic vermicompost and biodegradable packaging material that can replace the use of toxic thermocol. The idea behind HelpUsGreen was born in 2015, when two friends, Ankit Agarwal and Karan Rastogi, were hanging out one winter
To share articles go to https://span.state.gov MAY/JUNE 2019 39
Photographs courtesy HelpUsGreen
Left: Ankit Agarwal (left) and Karan Rastogi started HelpUsGreen to prevent the pollution of River Ganga due to dumping of floral waste. Below: Made from floral waste, Florafoam is a biodegradable, moldable and durable material. It essentially serves as an ecofriendly and cheaper alternative to thermocol.
40 MAY/JUNE 2019
morning on the bank of River Ganga in Kanpur. As they sat watching the devotees bathe in and even drink its polluted water, they realized that they had a mission. Through research, the duo found out that one of the major factors responsible for the pollution of this revered river was the dumping of flowers offered at places of worship. “In Uttar Pradesh, tons of flowers, grown using insecticides and pesticides, were dumped into the Ganga daily. What began as an idea to protect the river, has now grown to be HelpUsGreen,” says Apurv Misal, the company’s marketing manager. So far, it has “offset over 275 kilograms of pesticide residue,” he adds. Started with a meager investment of Rs. 72,000, it has grown into a unique upcycling technology to turn flower waste into handcrafted ecofriendly alternatives. HelpUsGreen collects around 8.4 tons of floral waste every day. This is, then, repurposed into incense sticks and cones as well as vermicompost fertilizer for agricultural purposes. The incense sticks, initially sold under a different brand name, were rebranded as Phool in 2018. “Within three months, we reached a level where we were able to sell an incense packet every minute. With each product we sell, we prevent 1.25 kilograms of flowers from being dumped in the Ganges,” says Misal.
Above: HelpUsGreen products are handmade by women. This has helped the start-up provide over 170 of them sustainable and healthy livelihoods. Above right: Florafoam is customizable into any shape and size.
He explains that the smoke from ordinary incense sticks has high levels of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene and xylenes, as well as sulfur dioxide. “Our Phool incense sticks have no charcoal or sulfur content,” he says. HelpUsGreen’s idea of preserving the Ganga expanded in a new direction when it identified the potential of using flowers to create a possible replacement for thermocol. The company developed Florafoam, an ecofriendly alternative to thermocol, which will soon be launched in the market. “Thermocol is one of the biggest
pollutants on Earth and a way to recycle it has not been discovered yet. The production of thermocol is energy-intensive and causes harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrofluorocarbons, used in the production of thermocol, result in air pollution, which damages the ozone layer,” says Misal. “Florafoam is a revolutionary packaging material developed by HelpUsGreen, using the technology of Flowercycling. It is a 100 percent natural product, as it’s made of flower and agro-waste. Its production process is also carbon neutral. It is cost-effective, as compared to traditional packaging material and is fire-resistant too.”
Florafoam is a 100 percent natural product, as it’s made of flower and agrowaste. Its production process is also carbon neutral. It is cost-effective, as compared to traditional packaging material and is fire-resistant too.
MAY/JUNE 2019 41
The Process 1
2
Waste is collected from the temples and brought to the HelpUsGreen facility.
Flowers are segregated by hand and plastics, paper and idols are weeded out.
Depending upon the species, carotenoid level, etc.
Courtesy HelpUsGreen
Part 1 - Incense
2
42 MAY/JUNE 2019
The dough is hand rolled to make raw incense sticks and cones, and dried.
Part 2 - Vermicompost
3
The dried incense sticks and cones are then dipped in essential oils.
1
Dried petals are powdered and mixed with natural plant resins and HelpUsGreen’s secret sauces to make a dough.
4
They are then packed into Phool incense boxes.
www.helpusgreen.com
3
Organic bioculum is sprayed on the flowers to offset the chemical residue.
4
Nexus Incubator Flowers are then carefully washed. The water is stored and used in vermicomposting.
5
Petals of each flower are broken and sun dried.
Part 3 - Florafoam
1
The green part of the flowers and leaves are mixed with cow dung, 17 different elements and HelpUsGreen’s secret sauces.
2
Earthworms are added to eat up the waste and make vermicompost.
1
Dried petals are molded with natural fungi to make Florafoam.
https://startupnexus.net
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HelpUsGreen
The material, he says, provides great elasticity, tensile strength, shock absorption and durability. Further, it can be altered and molded to any shape as per product requirements. “Florafoam takes around 62 days to disintegrate in soil completely and can be easily recycled,” adds Misal. In 2018, HelpUsGreen received training at the Nexus Incubator at American Center New Delhi. This helped the company “identify and solve critical problems that would otherwise have gone unnoticed and possibly been risky. Nexus, with its passionate team and a network like no other, can help start-ups find solutions to problems across all verticals,” he says. Nexus Incubator start-up hub is a collaboration with the IC² Institute of The University of Texas at Austin. HelpUsGreen is now gearing up to launch Flora-Leather, a vegan leather made from floral waste. “We have invested heavily in our research and development to invent methods to convert floral waste into biodegradable packaging and bioleather,” says Misal. “We are also constantly trying to empower the women who are employed with us. It has been our earnest effort to turn this pious waste collection into a full-blown social enterprise, which now spans three cities.” Ranjita Biswas is a Kolkata-based journalist. She also translates fiction and writes short stories.
MAY/JUNE 2019 43
Registered under RNI-6586/60
Kanpur-based HelpUsGreen collects about 8.4 tons of floral waste daily from different places of worship. These flowers are, then, handcrafted into charcoalfree incense sticks and cones, organic vermicompost and biodegradable packaging materials, like Florafoam. The company has received training at the Nexus Incubator start-up hub at the American Center New Delhi.
Courtesy HelpUsGreen
