As consumers are shifting to greener choices in fashion and lifestyle, there is still a way to go for sustainable companies to reach most of the masses as awareness and environmental consciousness play a key role in purchase decisions.
Jumping onto the bandwagon of offering eco-friendly products is a Bhubaneshwar-based brand called “All That Grass’’. Their products range from organizers, bags, and totes, to dining accessories like coasters, roti baskets, table runners and placemats, planters, folders, and lots more. All their products are made from natural fibers like banana fiber, palm leaf, jute, sabai, khadi,kauna and more.
Founders of the business Soumya Pati, Bhabatosh Pati, and BishnuCharan have reshaped the bags business with an environment-friendly approach where people’s needs could meet without hampering the planet.
Zooming In To The Brand & Its Offerings
Natural fibers from across the country are used in lifestyle products to suit the taste of modern-day consumers.
What sets “All That Grass” apart from the competitors is its modus operandi which encourages dealing in 100 percent natural (including azo-free colors), bio-degradable and unique products .They are suited for the conscious consumers who wish to eliminate plastic and other hazardous materials from their lifestyle. Some of their unique products are table runners made from banana fibers, yoga mats made from darbha grass, and many more.
What also differentiates them is making their products available on their platform directly, cutting any middlemen. This helps the artisans to get maximum profit and the customers avail the products at the cheapest. Working exclusively with designers who are a part of their team, they work together to create natural, biodegradable, and handmade products to match the needs of modern consumers.
Talking about the differentiation from its competitor, the founders share” Right now most brands work with only a single fiber and we do a lot of cross-fibre. Since the brand directly collaborates with fibre manufacturers and artisans, they place their products at a cheaper price than their counterparts, and by doing so they empower the artisanal community monetarily.”
The Inspirational Story Of The Founders And Roadmap Ahead
Soumya, who initially worked as a manager for Sustainability and Environment at Unilever, realized that the planet, which is currently witnessing rampant pollution, needed attention. She came up with the idea of eliminating plastic and other harmful materials from daily usage and replacing it with more biodegradable and eco-friendly options. Being a hodophile from the beginning, she realized during one of her visits to an artisan’s village that they had a lot of issues with middlemen who were not paying them as per market standards and market rates. Though their products were much sought after in Indian & European markets, they were not able to reach the marketplace nor manufacture as per the right design.
Co-founder Bhabatosh believes that doing business responsibly and successfully are two sides of the same coin.
“We believe that doing good for the environment and people around you is the way forward for any business these days. We integrate the artistic skills of artisans with our modern designing and marketing skills, thereby making these art forms suitable to the taste of the present day consumers. Sustainability is central to our business strategy and all our products are made of natural fibres,” he mentions.
One can buy their products through their Instagram handle, website, or on online shopping platforms like Amazon,Amala Earth, Firstcry,Zwende etc. As the brand is mostly into wholesale, they sell in bulk to retailers proudly fulfilling 50k orders so far. AllThatGrass is also recognized and funded by StartUp Odisha . The startup is also part of the US Consulate, Hyderabad cohort for Women Entrepreneurs in Green Economy.
Though the business & office is based in Bhubaneswar, the brand is available across Indian & global markets. They have a lot of resellers and other brands who collaborate with them through different locations and they also conduct workshops in different cities.
The brand aims to expand and empower its women workforce which is presently a group of 142 artisans to about 500 women artisans in years ahead. They want to create an awareness of biodegradable products so that most of the baskets and organizers are created in an eco-friendly manner. Replacing plastics and advocating zero-waste products has always been another consistent goal of the brand. They plan to upskill their artisanal workforce to create more and more aesthetically pleasing designs to export to various countries.
To know more visit –
https://www.instagram.com/allthatgrass/?igsh=MW50ODhidjZ5MW5heQ%3D%3D
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