The mucky skies of the capital don’t arouse senses of serenity like they did before as these clouds that once showered the purest air now inhale the bluster of dust. Entitled as the world’s seventh most polluted city, anyone residing in Kathmandu would ascribe the ongoing air pollution as the reason behind this.
Papers, polythene bags and tyres are gaining infamy for this air-pollution. While the entire valley was occupied with blaming these wastes for pollution, four budding entrepreneurs of Nepal bagged the award of ‘Greenovation Challenge’ for innovating a notion of transforming non-biodegradable pollutant ‘tyre’ to an alternative and functional product.
Tyre Treasures, a green enterprise, is an initiation of four active youths- Loonibha Manandhar, Ojaswi Baidya, Sampanna Shrestha and Susan Chakradhar who aim to convert tyres into useful material. Following the motto ‘Reduce. Reuse. Recycle’, the story of Tyre Treasures is an engaging one.
While many of us addle upon the idea of even imagining tyres as utility products, these four young guns envisioned of recycling and using tyres. Many times, tyres are burnt recklessly in Kathmandu. The smog that comes from these tyres doesn’t prove to be conducive as it causes air pollution. The motive of the company is to ignite green footprints in an increasingly polluted world.
“We hear mostly about polythene bags and plastics creating adverse effects in the environment. But when we talk about tyres, no one gives much attention. Burning tyres is a very common practice in Nepal and India. Instead of burning them, we wanted to do something really innovative with tyres such as using them as beneficial products”, Ojaswi Baidya, the COO of Tyre Treasures mentioned.
Using old and abandoned tyres, they specialize their products to promote a cleaner community. Comprised of urban gardening and food circle their products include- Full Circle Taybul, Muda, Gamala, Sarjayanthi and Tommy’s Turf. They employ handwoven natural fibre ropes and traditional weaving techniques in their Full Circle Taybul and Muda which promotes traditional Nepali artifact’s vibes. Gamala and Tommy’s turf are so alluring as they utilize the tyres for gardening pots and customized pet beds respectively. ‘Sarjayanthi’, tyre treasure’s product that uses ‘pater’, a kind of water grass found abundantly in the Terai region comprises four mudas, and the table is topped by a high-quality glass.
They get the tyres from the river banks of Bagmati where people recklessly discard them. Sometimes, if they don’t get such tyres, they acquire them from the automobile workshops. Tyre Treasures works with various people from different work backgrounds.
From working with people from ‘Knotcraft’, Nepali local artists, experienced artists to collaborating with ‘CWIN’, Tyre Treasures is working in coalition with CWIN to make cushion cover for one of their commodity, Tommy’s turf. This cushion cover will be a hybrid of local fabric and discarded flex/banners, and this will be commissioned to CWIN’s program ‘Banners To Bag’.
As they were first striding in their enterprise, it would become a heck of a hard job for them. Dealing with very opposite carpentry and handcrafting, they had to face deficit in manpower who could produce functional products. But as they were venturing, with the abet of WWF Nepal and Nepal Entrepreneur’s Hub, they started to take bigger steps in the project. Their products have got positive feedbacks from the customers.
Ojaswi indicated that the entrepreneurial sphere has a lot of hurdles but not letting go one’s innovative idea is the key to the sustainability in today’s competitive entrepreneurial ambiance.
Tyre Treasures work is an incredible and inspiring notion that prompts the aspiring youths of the country to do what they believe in.
Presented By: Kabita Sen
