You can save one tree from being compromised for every 8 packets of A4 sheets, where each packet contains some 500 sheets.
Paper Plus Europe is a start-up company that supplies carbon neutral paper across UK, Europe and Africa, currently having a market across 30+ countries. Their products are made using sustainable sugar-cane based natural resources utilising the waste generated from the production of sugar cane fibres in India. Once these fibres are harvested by the farmers they are then sent to the sugar mills, where the cane juice is processed and the leftover waste generated is called Bagus. These Bagus fibres are normally burnt or dumped but sometimes used in generating electricity. But the Indian government has recently been imposing new laws, curbing these sugar mills to stop burning the bagus fibres and use them in making other products.
“This idea was born while I was pursuing my Masters at University in South Hampton where my dissertation focussed on the subject of sustainable paper,” said Shah.
The Global Enterprise and Entrepreneurship alumnus from India hails from a family which has been in this business for over 53 years in the sub-continent. Shah had headed the same project in India where he discovered that people were buying his product not because of its green credentials but because of its cheap price, something that Shah discovered after the Indian government had signed a duty free trade deal with the Indonesian Government. This brought him to the realisation of how the Asian markets were not ready for sustainable products
“I was very passionate about using waste material because if it is recycled properly then they make for innovative end-user products. I was at one of the Trade Expos and I was talking about the idea of sustainable paper and I saw that the attitude itself towards the product was different from what I had experienced in the Asian markets.” he said.
During his post-graduation, Shah kept exploring industry events, expos, trade fairs, conferences and scoping the market, strategising the pitch, understanding how to launch and disseminate his product into the European market and, working with his customers.
“The University was extremely supportive by sponsoring my Visa for two years under the Tier 1 graduate Entrepreneur visa after I had submitted my business plan to them and I received funds both from HSBC and my parents,” he disclosed.
EnvoPAP is the flagship product of the company which was first incorporated in 2015. In the first two years, they started out by supplying paper for commercial and industry uses as copier paper in offices, and textbooks for schools. Later, they diversified into craft-based products which are used for making high-strength packing boxes such as Amazon boxes which are made through recycled paper that uses a heavy amount of energy.
“The vision we have is to introduce, innovate and find products from agricultural waste and involves limited use of energy. But the second phase of the evolution of product revolves around compostable, biodegradable and made from using alternative fibres,” he explained.
Apart from Bagus fibres they are now researching how rice straws and wheat straw can be used for paper production. They have started working with UK based institutions and public bodies such as supermarkets and food providers where they are researching together to find the right product be it for the burger wraps or straws among others and have more than 9 products of such kind in the research pipeline.
“Bread wrapping is the most sold product in Ethiopia where we are selling bread-wrapping paper for all bakery items. So, we got into food packaging last year.
We are also doing coffee cups but it still requires a little more trial and error and research in terms of understanding the right material required to make them,” said Shah.
At a time when climate change and environmental concerns are most dominant among governments and other not-for-profit stakeholders, Paper Plus is committed to the UN's Sustainable Development Goal of consumption and production patterns. The business’ total revenue until now has exceeded £7 million, with Kaushal forecasting this to reach £10 million early in the next financial year.
“In the next ten years companies and government's are going to struggle with waste management and in management of the infrastructure and resources required for reducing and recycling waste,” said Shah.
