The massive amounts of plastic waste that we produce is a huge problem that, in one way or another, affects the whole world. And while some of these things, like plastic bags, decompose significantly faster than other plastic products, they are still an issue nonetheless.
Fortunately, there are some people who give their all to help make our future as green as possible. One great example is this guy from India who, with his amazing startup company, created shopping bags from corn waste that are as durable as their plastic counterparts, but they decompose in just 180 days. Scroll down to read the full story!
Plastic pollution is a huge problem that affects every single one of us, but fortunately, one man might've found a solution
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin and his startup company, Bio Reform, created bags made from corn waste and other natural materials
The 24-year-old entrepreneur Mohammed Azhar Mohiuddin has recently grabbed the internet's attention after he and his company, Bio Reform, replaced millions of plastic bags in stores all over India. Their feat was achieved by using innovative biotechnology, which helped them create eco-friendly bags that might be a great help in solving our plastic waste crisis.
Even though these bags are made of things like corn waste, sugars, cellulose, and other natural components, they are equal to their plastic counterparts in almost every way, except for the fact that they decompose in around 180 days, which makes the process significantly faster, as an average plastic bag stays around for roughly 10-20 years.
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Image credits: BioReform (Facebook)
They're very durable and last for around 180 days, and to this day, they have successfully replaced around 6 million plastic bags in stores all across India
But none of this happened overnight. While Mohammed had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, creating his company and developing the product took quite some time, and it all started during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. "In 2019, I wondered what I was really even chasing. Money? That would come even after I started focusing on solving real-life problems," shared the founder of Bio Reform in an interview with The Better India.
Understanding the severity of plastic pollution and the reasons for it happening, the man realized that something like plastic bags would be used for as long as we didn't have a proper and accessible alternative. Hence, he decided to create a bag that could mirror the properties of plastic bags while remaining friendly to our environment.
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Coming up with a product that could rival plastic bags in price, performance, and recyclability took a lot of time and effort, but eventually, Bio Reform found a solution
Not long after, Bio Reform came into existence. But even then, there was still tons to do. Muhammed had to develop his solution and find the machinery capable of creating the product, all while dealing with the pandemic restrictions and trying to balance his studies and operating the company.
Muhammed delved into studying the subject and trying to come up with his solution. At the same time, with the help of his uncle, he had to find the right machinery that would be capable of creating the final product.
Image credits: BioReform (Facebook)
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Mohammed is proud of his creation's success, but he says that his work is far from done, and he plans to keep on going and making our planet greener
"On the inauguration day, my uncle, who was also the co-founder, quit the company citing some personal reasons. I tried to balance both my studies and the operations of the company – from collecting raw material, assisting workers to manufacture bags, delivering the products in the market. I used to sleep in a corner in the factory," the man shared about his journey.
But eventually, all his hard work paid off. Currently, the company has replaced approximately 6 million plastic bags in stores across the country. They're also making carry bags, biomedical waste bags, garbage bags, food pouches, and book wraps.
And yet, Mohammed doesn't plan to stop here. "I am glad I am able to contribute my part. It is sometimes taxing to not lead a regular college life but in the end, it is all worth it. I feel content when I go back to sleep. But much more needs to be done to make India plastic-free, and I will continue to strive for it," shared the founder of Bio Reform, talking about his big plans for the future.
Image credits: theazharmohiuddin
Humans have been aware of the crisis of plastic pollution for years now. But still, even when it comes to replacing plastic bags, we seem to be struggling quite a bit. So why is that?
Well, according to Michael Brown of Phys.com, to even have a chance at success, every alternative has to meet 3 objectives: price, performance, and recyclability. But it turns out that this is not as easy as it sounds.
Image credits: aboodi vesakaran / Pexels
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels
Coming up with an alternative that could successfully replace plastic bags is a difficult task, as most materials fail to compete at a price, performance, or recyclability level
Most alternatives, even when successfully made price and recyclability-wise, often fail at performance. We are probably all painfully familiar with the situation when a perfectly good and environment-friendly bag rips open and your groceries spill on the ground midway through the walk from the store back home.
Then, there is the recycling part, as having all these different types of materials makes this process quite a bit more complex, and it can potentially overwhelm recycling facilities. It also makes the task of recycling more complicated for the end user, too, as they now have to pay even more attention to their trash.
Materials like paper, which at first sight may appear to be a much better alternative, actually cost us a lot of trees, and their durability is far from perfect. And bags made from material that satisfies our price and performance needs, even when viewed as relatively biodegradable, still take quite a long time to decompose fully.
Image credits: s J / Pexels
Image credits: Uriel Mont / Pexels
In the end, finding a solution to this crisis takes the greatest of minds and ideas. Fortunately, people like Mohammed are not easily discouraged, and eventually, as this story testifies, their hard work yields impressive results. Bio Reform's invention is certainly great news for the people of India and possibly for us all. Hopefully, if things keep going as well as they have, we will soon replace plastic bags worldwide.
What did you think about this story? Do you think Bio Reform's bags will finally be able to get rid of our plastic bag problem? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters were excited about the invention and couldn't wait to see these bags replace plastic ones as soon as possible
