These companies are changing the way we consume

Olie: Handcrafted, Natural, Low-Waste Lighting Solutions

While Econiture recycles plastic waste to make stylish furniture, lighting studio Olie takes a circular approach. They use all-natural materials to craft bespoke lighting solutions.

Amrita Nambiar, founder at Olie, says that as makers, they are always adding to the problem. So, it’s best to keep it low-impact from the start. And the Olie team does this every step of the way. They go into the origins of their materials to ensure that everything is natural and easy to recycle (as much as possible).

Their mantra is to ensure a long life for each product they create. Everything is made to order, reducing inventory. Says Amrita, “We use extremely good quality materials so that each piece lasts at least 7-8 years. And with our Repair and Reclaim initiative, customers can send us their Olie products and we will recycle, repair and give it back to them in a new avatar, managing to control things from going to landfill.”

Being a lighting company, packaging is a major issue. Olie’s solution is biodegradable bubblewrap from Biogreen. It’s almost 4 times the cost of regular bubblewrap, but it composts in 200 days. And for the team, it’s completely worth it, since it has a lower environmental impact.

Project Purkul: Preserving Cloth Craft with Sustainable Collaborations

Conscious consumerism is as much about creating a high impact on the community as it is about a low-impact on the environment. And Project Purkul does both. Based out of Dehradun and Village Purkul in the foothills of Mussoorie, it is a cloth-based handicrafts collective.

They make a range of products: quilts, cushion covers, table runners, aprons, bags and pouches, all done with appliqué, patchwork, and embroidery techniques. They even transform old clothes, quilts and cloth to into one-of-a-kind “memory quilts” for their customers.

These appliqué techniques are unique to the area and feature bigger and bolder work compared to other forms like chikankari. It’s a dying craft and Project Purkul is on a mission to revive and preserve it.

The team believes in empowerment, sustainability and collaboration. Initially, they started with a few women artisans coming to their centre in Dehradun. But to scale and make it sustainable, they took the project to the villages and began collaborating at a grassroots level. This is how it grew and now Project Purkul is working all around Dehradun and adjoining villages. With work at their doorstep, it’s a win-win: women train other women and more people join in.

Says Amrit Burrett, Director, Project Purkul, “From the beginning, it has been built around community and keeping it sustainable so we can make a long-lasting impact. We collaborate with self-help groups and show our artisans the right way to go about things. Women learn craft skills and how to market and their products.”

Tons Valley Shop: Natural, Equitable and Sustainable Produce

The Uttarakhand hills are home to unique varieties of fruits, vegetables, and grains, and Tons Valley Shop is bringing that produce to consumers directly from farmers in the valley.

Launched by husband-wife duo Anand Sankar and Shubhra Chatterji, Tons Valley Shop is a community-based farming collective born during the pandemic. Pre-COVID, the two were working on tourism in the area. But when the lockdown hit, a sense of panic set in within the community, since summer is peak earning season for the locals.

The couple hit upon the idea of selling apples. Everyone in the area owned a bit of land and several locals grew apples. They put out a Facebook post inviting people to purchase apple boxes directly from farmers. The response was fantastic: they sold 25 kgs in the first season. That’s when they realised there is a market for farm-fresh sustainable produce.