Project Palaash

Tackling problems of marine pollution by utilizing floral waste to organically dye fabrics along with manufacturing ranges of sustainable products to revive Indian handloom heritage by redefining fast fashion practices.

Project Palaash aims to address the problem of inefficient floral waste management. Approximately 8 million tonnes of floral waste, which is 1/3rd of the total solid waste produced in India, is discarded into water bodies in India every year, accounting for 16% of the total river pollutants. Many places of worship dispose off the waste generated in temples into nearby waterways, thereby endangering aquatic flora and fauna. The decomposition of flowers and dissolution of pesticides into water degrades the water quality, and this magnified water toxicity limits the amount of dissolved oxygen. These dire consequences are borne by life below water.

Through Project Palaash, we also cope with the issue of fast fashion. 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 and 1.7 million tonnes of microplastic fibres are released every year by the Synthetic Dyeing and Fast Fashion Industry, thus deteriorating aquatic and terrestrial life. By reviving the ancient yet elegant Indian handloom culture, we overcome the problems associated with fast fashion and guide today’s generation into an era of sustainability. 

To expand our impact and customer base, we have undertaken research for curating natural scents (attar). Artisans from India's perfume capital, Kannauj, have been struck hard by technological change, high indebtedness, and industrialization. The attar-making community has seen an exponential decline in favor of artificially made scents. Through this venture, we aim to revive the fading aromatic culture of India.

Project Palaash is constantly working to reformulate the fashion industry by adopting means of sustainable fashion by converting floral waste into natural dyes. Thus, the solution we adopted simultaneously tackles water pollution and the consequential effects of synthetic dyes and polyester fabric. By collecting flowers from the sites of utilization prior to their disposal, Project Palaash restores water purity and adequate dissolved oxygen levels. It also amplifies the fertility of the land around it and significantly reduces pollutant and pesticide runoff. The raw materials used in the manufacturing process are 100% vegan. Production costs are reduced by sourcing primary raw material - flowers- for free from places where they are deemed as waste. Hence, converting garbage into gold. We have established a zero-waste model wherein we use the excess flowers for producing compost and are researching to venture into the production of attar, incense sticks, and incense cones, apart from organic dyes. The wastewater is also reused and utilized to water plants. To manage the seasonal surge in floral waste, we venture into various seasonal campaigns. Our solution offers a sustainable and eco-friendly range of products and enhances ecosystem resilience. 

Project Palaash works dedicatedly to directly and meaningfully improve the lives of some of the most underserved sections of society. To achieve the vision of equitable upliftment, we have formed a symbiotic collaboration with STOP Global Movement NGO. The STOP NGO has devoted its efforts to rescuing and empowering survivors of human trafficking and oppression via education, legal employment, and vocational training for holistic development. We have also set up 120 self-help groups in collaboration with the government in the semi-urban areas of Delhi.  We aspire to build a new environmentally conscious market for beautifully crafted handloom products. The project has empowered the underprivileged sections of society by imparting basic skills that enhance their earning and living standards. We train our beneficiaries in the natural dyeing process and imbibe entrepreneurial spirit in them by giving them financial and managerial freedom. We have provided a helping hand to the underprivileged sections of society, which will assist them in coming out of the downward and persevering spiral they would otherwise be trapped in by illuminating the masses about the advantages of the same.

The team at Project Palaash works with utmost dedication and diligence to achieve the target of sustainability set by the United Nations. While emerging from diverse academic backgrounds such as Economics, Mathematics, Psychology, Business Management, Political Science, Computer Science, and Commerce, we strive to fulfil common objectives which augment the achievement of one fundamental goal - making the world a better place. The members of the society are assigned to various departments (such as Research and Development, Marketing, Content, and Design and Technology) where the whole process, from the inception of an idea to the attainment of results, takes place under the guidance of our core members, faculty advisors, and industry experts. Our small team is a part of a substantial family of Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi and we persist to rise by lifting others. Our team comes from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds which helps us come up with ideas that are sensitive to the needs of every demographic.

To understand the scale of floral waste management problems and the communities and life forms it affects, we conducted extensive research and recognized the disastrous impacts it generates. Before launching our product line, we conducted sizable market surveys to analyze the current market trends, customer demands and purchasing patterns and concluded that a growing market segment is becoming environmentally conscious and eager to switch to sustainable alternatives. However, a substantial proportion of the population raised concerns about the lack of such alternatives. We curated a solution that addressed this issue. We attained proficiency in dyeing techniques through guidance provided to us by Ms. Madhurima Singh, founder of a sustainable fashion label called Dhuri. To engage our customers in our product development and designing process, we also offer the option of customized orders as per our potential customers’ preferences. 

Project Palaash has been able to tackle the problem of floral waste innovatively by tackling the root cause of the problem itself. 1/3rd of the total river pollution has been attributed to floral waste. We intervene in the trajectory of flowers from garbage bins to water bodies and utilize it to curate a range of organic products. Our streamlined and lean operation process follows a zero-waste model. We exhibit our products as a sustainable alternative to the harmful fast fashion and synthetic dyeing industry. 

To capture the inflated seasonal demands during the festivities in India, we organize various seasonal festive campaigns, during which we provide our consumers with an innovative way of celebrating the festivals sustainably.

Thus, we act as a catalyst of change in society by tapping the consumer market and inducing behaviour change through education. 

Palaash’s goals are twofold: Dive into an era of sustainable fashion and empower the survivors of human trafficking. 

• By providing long-term employment opportunities, we help the survivors cope with the financial impositions they may have. Employment opportunities also make them self-sufficient, bring them out of the vicious low self-esteem circle they are trapped in, and build entrepreneurs. 

• Our beneficiaries have mastered the techniques of natural dyeing, weaving, and stitching, and have been able to generate a sustainable living for themselves.

• Floral waste decomposition releases toxins that affect the ocean's biodiversity. Palaash helps reduce the waste level to enhance the self-purification process of water bodies. We aim to utilize 55% of the floral waste produced in Delhi in 2024.

• Next year, we plan to impact 8000+ lives, set up 25 dyeing centres in PAN India, and create a global reach for Palaash.  

• In the future, we intend to achieve and create a demand for sustainable fashion and revitalize the handloom industry. Moreover, we plan to multiply our exploration, innovation, and discoveries to recycle floral waste and venture into attar production to utilize floral waste to our fullest capacity while expanding the market for the narrowing attar-producing community in Kannauj.

The core technology that powers Palaash is not a new patent. Rather, it is an application of the traditionally accepted technology of natural dyeing. Implementation of an uncomplicated innovation that has withstood the passage of time denotes the essence of our mission of uplifting our beneficiaries by imparting simple vocational skills. The traditional technology of natural dyeing relies exclusively on natural and organic raw materials, which brings down waste levels and keeps the ecosystem balance at equilibrium. 

The process begins with preparing a bath using Harad seeds as fixatives, which makes the dye durable and long-lasting. Next, a dye vat is prepared using flowers, tea leaves, onion peels, and other natural ingredients as organic colourants. The entire process is low-tech and cost-effective, making it easier for the beneficiaries to adopt this procedural model.

One of the main goals of Project Palaash is to impact lives and make them better. This past year we’ve directly served 700 people, and we’re hopeful that this number will increase to 900 by next year and to more than 1500 in the next five years.

One of the major barriers that we as a college society face are financial limitations to our Project’s growth. The society relies upon funds generated from business activities and competitions to grow and expand its operations while maintaining the income generation abilities of its beneficiaries. Another barrier is the cultural mindset of people and their skepticism revolving around the quality and durability of Palaash's products, which makes it difficult for us to capture the PAN-India market. Another difficulty posed in capturing the Indian market is the saturated clothing industry which makes it difficult for an entry-level organization to create a brand value and market space for itself.

• Stop NGO, Prabhaav NGO, Khushii NGO, Etasha NGO - Through our collaboration with these NGOs, we aim to aid the NGOs to effectuate their mission while empowering the underserved community that the NGOs are helping.

• BGMS - We have set up.a self-sustaining dyeing centre in Indore in collaboration with BGMS

• Sedhuram ji - He is a Jaipur-based veteran in natural dyeing who disseminated his dyeing skills and techniques to us.

• JP clothing - Our collaborative venture with JP Clothing, a South India-based textile manufacturer, magnifies our scale and impact.

• Green Bandhu - This collaboration provides us with a composting unit to make compost out of floral waste

• Aryabhatta College - The college has provided us with the space to set up a composting unit within its campus.

• Ecophase, Going zero, SustainKart, Very group - We are in talks with these esteemed Organizations to showcase our products on their websites which would, in turn, increase our reach and customer base.

• Enactus Gargi - Provided us with Terracotta pots during our Diwali campaign Utsav, which served as a container for scented soy wax candles.

• Office of Hon’ble Delhi Cabinet Minister, Mr. Kailash Gahlot - This collaboration allowed us to set up dyeing centres in Najafgarh. 

Our supply chain originates from two points: temples where waisted floral offerings are procured, and handloom weaving units in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat from where we source 100% organic cotton fabric.

They converge at our production sites where the apparel are organically dyed and sustainably packed by our beneficiaries, and they are shipped off by our delivery agents. This is with respect to our B2C framework. Additionally, we offer similar services to businesses in our B2B Model by dying such apparel in bulk. 

Project Palaash has managed to be at par with the current dynamic business environment so as to further enhance its impact. Our e-commerce website facilitates greater ease of placing orders and allows our customers to be in tune with our new ventures and product lines. 

At Project Palaash, we are constantly engaged in devising the most optimal solutions—environmentally, socially, and economically. Our business model is driven by the endeavor to employ a zero-waste system wherein waste generated during all stages of production is either recycled or upcycled.

We follow a multifaceted approach to creating opportunities for economic growth and uplifting the social status of many communities. Right from the procurement and transportation of floral waste to selling our final product we provide employment opportunities to deprived and backward communities.

At Project Palaash, we are constantly engaged in devising the most optimal solutions—environmentally, socially, and economically. Our business model is driven by the endeavor to employ a zero-waste system wherein waste generated during all stages of production is either recycled or upcycled.

Project Palaash, in its endeavour to attain financial sustainability, took a dual model approach to its business, i.e., B2B and B2C models. This model has been adopted to maximize our profitability and scale of operations. 

We can keep the business running profitably by offering our natural dyeing services to B2B businesses. Under this revenue stream, companies provide us with intermediate products, and we dye them to suit their specifications. Varying dyeing charges apply for different types of garments, dying patterns, colours, etc.,  

Apart from B2B services, we also undertake B2C services, wherein we offer our elegantly curated product line directly to our customers. Currently, we sell a range of products including dupattas, shirts and kurtas. Our consumer leads are generated through our e-commerce website: https://www.projectpalaash.com. As an alternative, we also list our products in online stores that share a commitment to sustainability, such as Eco Phase and Going Zero. Our D2C sales exponentially increase during our seasonal campaigns, namely Abir (Holi campaign), during which we sell organic gulaal, Bandhan (Rakhi campaign), during which we sell yarn-made rakhis and Utsav (Diwali campaign), during which we attar-infused soy wax candles. We also conduct sales drives and set up kiosks and stalls regularly. 

A significant proportion of our working expenses are met by competition prizes and grants. We also collaborate with various organizations for conducting fundraisers.