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Unique ways to sustain prior COP27 & Uneako
858 Plays2 years ago
In this episode we are talking with Ankit - the cofounder of Uneako. Uneako aims to curb the environmental threats of climate change and plastic pollution by introducing and promoting an exclusive and innovative range of eco-friendly product solutions for office, home, and gifting utilities. Dive in some amazing ways to improve your carbon footprint, as well as discover investing ideas to produce sustainable products and services.
This episode is sponsored by @cubicletoceo Podcast and masterclass. Check it out at http://zen.ai/genzceo
Follow ChangemakerZ https://go.changemakerz.org/follow
Episode's page https://podcast.changemakerz.org/uneako
Uneako social media handles https://lnkfi.re/uneako
Access exclusive content on the ChangemakerZ app at https://app.changemakerz.org
Produced by Vasilis Skarleas
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Transcript
Introduction to Changemaker-Z Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello everyone, I'm Kennedy. And I'm Vassilis. We run Changemaker-Z, a student-run initiative that aims to empower, educate, and connect Gen Zers interested in entrepreneurship. We interview teenagers with impactful projects and create resources to help you change the world. If they can't do it, so can you.
00:00:23
Speaker
On this podcast, we discuss the logistics of creating different types of projects with Gen Zers who have already done it. We will leave our social media and website information in the description.
Interview with Ankit from UNICO
00:00:53
Speaker
Hello change makers and welcome to another episode of the Dancer's Rise podcast. Today we're in the studio with Ankit, the co-founder of UNICO. UNICO aims to curb the environmental threats of climate change and plastic pollution by introducing and promoting an inclusive and innovative range of eco-friendly product solutions for office, home and gifting utilities. Welcome Ankit to the show, so nice to meet you. Hello, hello, nice to meet you.
00:01:22
Speaker
Thank you so much for being here today and joining us. So what inspired you to create Unico? So my journey started. So like I am basically I'm a mechanical engineer. So when I was in third year of my engineering, so like I have very keen to become a social entrepreneur. So I live in India and I live in Delhi. So
00:01:47
Speaker
so like in my near to my home where I live there's a landfill which is near to my home so that landfill triggered my mind to start this unicorn and I like I started this startup against the will of my parents because my parent wants me to do a job but I said no I will not want
00:02:09
Speaker
I am not born to do a job. I want to become a social entrepreneur and want to become a chain maker. So that's why I started and I start making this product and the whole idea is like as we all know everyone is talking about climate change, global warming, ocean pollution and plastic waste, stop single use plastic and all. So that's why I said like why not we can create a brand in which we will provide alternative for the
00:02:38
Speaker
single-use plastic products. That's so and it's crazy that's just it's crazy because it's like your parents didn't want you to do it because they wanted you to do a real job quote-unquote but yet your company is actually giving other like communities a job now so that's amazing I love that. How did you come up with the name Unico?
Origin of UNICO's Name
00:03:03
Speaker
So that was a very interesting question. So like I started in when I was in third year of my engineering. So like my college give me one placement form that you have to if you want to do the
00:03:19
Speaker
placement you have to sign this form from your parent but I said to my professor in my college that I don't want to do a job I want to become an entrepreneur and then I just take that form back to my home and it was just like a blast in my home and then the blast is just all about that I will not to participate in the placement drives in my college
00:03:44
Speaker
So my mom got socked and she said, so what you are going to do? So I said, I will, I want to start my own startup and I want to become a chain maker. And that's why we started. And since we are into gifting products, so we are into, we are providing sustainable alternatives for corporates. We are helping them corporate to reduce their carbon footprints and all. And that's why we said like, since we are making unique products from different waste and also everything is in unique, unique, unique.
00:04:14
Speaker
that's why we said that why not to put unique term in our brand name so that's why we said unique plus eco so it has a both sound like unique products plus eco-friendly product so that's why it we make it with a unico so unico is an amalgamation of unique and eco-friendly products yep it's a good you know it gets
00:04:39
Speaker
straight to the point, kind of explaining what the products are. I have a follow-up question. So I know you co-founded it with your brother. Is he older than you? Did you have to kind of convince him, or was he always kind of into entrepreneurship like you, if your family was against it? So we are only two brothers in my family, and we both are mechanical engineers.
00:05:10
Speaker
Atul, he is like my elder brother and he is basically a design thinker, design innovator. After his graduation, he usually works with a lot of manufacturing companies in India and giving them a lot of ideas, innovations and with using design thinking approach and all critical creative thinking.
00:05:29
Speaker
And he usually work as a consultant in the companies and giving them ideas to reduce their time, reduce their cost money in terms of making their products and all.
00:05:41
Speaker
When I started, so like I read a lot of startup stories and all and then I found like there are a lot of conflicts happens in the startups about the co-founders one. So I said like instead of working with any other member, so why not to start the same thing with my brother. So then I talked to my brother and since he is into design thinking, creativity, innovation and he's always like his name is Vayani Kattur Tripathi. So he's always into like
00:06:09
Speaker
working on new innovative materials and also like from the birth like from the childhood also we are very different from each other like somehow if I said I want to eat apple he said no I want to eat banana so we are very bit upon him but in one way we are on the same level when we are going to do something good for the society for the nature and all
00:06:36
Speaker
So that's why I just in the night like it's it's approximately 2 a.m in the since we are a mechanical engineer so we usually work in the night and also like I I discuss with my brother in the morning around 3 a.m that my brother I need your help in my startup why not you come with me and we can make this brand more impactful we can more
00:06:57
Speaker
we can invite more people and we can change the world so finally he convinced and then we blast another bomb in my home that apart from me like I'm not going to do a job I'm just saying that Atul is also not going to resign giving the resignation from this consultancy and he's also working with me so like
00:07:20
Speaker
earlier my mom is against with us then my father is also they both will be against with us that we have only two child and the both are working on this stuff so okay it's not like that's so i'm gonna move on soon but it's like is in general in india is entrepreneurship just not encouraged or was it just your
00:07:47
Speaker
I mean, because this has become a stripper or something, you want to make a social impact. Yes, but now it's going to increase in the Indian market also. But since we belong from a very normal family, so like people in our families, because they don't have any business and always from the job background, so they always want to secure their life.
00:08:16
Speaker
to be secured because job has a secure life like secured salaries and all so they always want us to be get a job like secure life that's why they always insist us to do a job and all but yes so one thing I just want to say to all of the people who are listening this podcast like it's a very challenging to convince the whole world is very much easy but to convince our own parents is very challenging
00:08:43
Speaker
So that's the main thing, that's how we convinced and finally we end both brothers into the Unico and we started with a lot of struggles we faced at that time but now it's a really good way that our project is supported by Audi, Bentley and different more Bitcorporates.
00:09:06
Speaker
Alright, so I have another question.
Turning Waste into Reusable Products
00:09:10
Speaker
You advertise that your products have more than one intent to use. So what are some of the other ways people can use your products and which are these products?
00:09:20
Speaker
So basically when we started this startup like Unico, so we found that on that landfill like in India landfill, there are a lot of packaging waste like packaging waste is the biggest waste on that landfill. So usually approximately 60 to 70% of waste is of packaging waste.
00:09:40
Speaker
So that's why like we decided why not we can make build products where the packaging also become a product because when we are going to buy any product in any country we usually somehow we are paying the cost for the packaging but ultimately what we do with the packaging we just take out the product and throw the packaging in the dust bin.
00:10:03
Speaker
So that's why we make the concept that why not we can make a packaging as a product. So in every product of Unicode, the packaging is also become a product. So like if you're buying any product, you will get two product. One is the main product and second one is of packaging. So you can use that packaging or you can make any other product out of that packaging. So it's a very so every product have different story and every product have a different story of their packaging.
00:10:31
Speaker
That is very true. I don't even think there's so much waste just from the packaging and just being able to utilize your packaging. We should begin to shift the idea that packaging maybe can be used for other things instead of just throwing it away, or at least making it recyclable. That's really, really cool.
00:11:01
Speaker
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00:11:11
Speaker
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00:11:33
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:12:46
Speaker
Yes, so we always have problem solver
00:12:52
Speaker
Yeah, I wanted to say that it's really remarkable what you're saying right now because I have never heard that before like I have some people like being packaging collectors because like they bought the product they like the packaging and so they keep it in the space or I have seen other people that like because they collect other rare things if you remove the packaging then the rareness of this thing doesn't exist anymore so it doesn't I love the minimalism design of your products so
00:13:23
Speaker
Did your company face any challenges? Was there every time you wanted to give up with your startup? To be honest, I personally believe that if we are a chain maker or if we are any social entrepreneur or an entrepreneur, so we always have a lot of struggles at the initial stage and people like
00:13:46
Speaker
people don't know about that struggles and everyone only about the like if but but the goods thing everyone know about the goods thing that this startup is making this this startup is doing this or they receive this thing and all but they never know about the struggles what initial states we face the signals and that that the main thing so I always say law that a lot of struggles we face like we both both brothers face like initially to convince our parents
00:14:16
Speaker
and then finally we convince them then again like everything is on the words like in an entrepreneurship like everything is on the every day is is on the words like and a lot of things are on the words like if talking about the orders if talking about the lot of documentation things so everything is on the words but
00:14:37
Speaker
Since you have chosen entrepreneurship or a chain maker or a social entrepreneurship so you are a problem solver so you have to solve the problems those problems who are on the verge you have to solve them so in our case like we've also faced lot of
00:14:55
Speaker
problems in an initial stage like to be very the biggest problem that we faced is like financials like since belonging from the engineering background we don't have a knowledge of the financials and your marketing and also that was a very problem that we face but thanks to our
00:15:14
Speaker
Incubation centers like NIT and AIC, Attal Incubation Center, BIMTech, they guys support us and they finally give us a lot of knowledge, a lot of exposure, how to manage your financial, how to incorporate your companies with Indian governments and all and how you can start your business and all. So that was the main thing like struggles we faced. Then working on the situation like when we start the project, so
00:15:43
Speaker
Finding the clients, customers is the very biggest struggles. Like a lot of big corporates don't want to interact with us. They always said like, that was an initial struggles at the initial stage. So like finding the best customer and all then, but now we have a more than hundred plus clients like Intel, WWF, MSME, and Nestle. Then like these are the clients that we, National Geography, these all our clients to whom we are
00:16:12
Speaker
making our building our products and help them to reduce their carbon footprints and making their event zero waste.
00:16:20
Speaker
This is so, so amazing. Like all the companies that you said that they are interested in, the products that you are working on, they are really amazing. And I would like to give you many, many applause on that. So you have over 30 products. I would love to know what your first product was. What's the story behind it?
Innovative Products: The Plantable Pen
00:16:45
Speaker
so when we started so like the first product that we made it that was like
00:16:52
Speaker
that was our first product call start right now and that's a basically a pencil and a pen that we have made it so usually in India there are 24 lakh ball pen pen are being thrown every day that end up in the landfill and if you talk about like in each pen there is like approximately 25 gram of plastic 25 to 30 gram of plastic in each pen that we will use but it's reached to the landfill and if you
00:17:21
Speaker
find the calculate the data so it will be in terms of plastic from that pen that we are using so we make the pen and that is 100% biodegradable that made from recycled paper and we put it at seeds at every pen so the concept is like once you are done with your pencil or a pen you have to put that pen and pencil in the in your pot
00:17:45
Speaker
Okay, so your seed which will be at the back end of the pen that seed will be converted into a plant So you will get one plant and that pen is made up of paper So it is 95% reduced plastic pen, which is completely like biodegradable and also you are creating dual impact one is you are saving the plastic also and also you are planting one tree and
00:18:09
Speaker
So that was the my first product which we started and once we started then I put a post on the Facebook initial stage. So since I have on to find some clients and also I put it on the Facebook that hey everyone I am a chain maker and I am a still entrepreneur.
00:18:29
Speaker
I built this product called Pen. There's a seed in it and I put it in a lot of marketing and different Facebook groups and from there like a lot of people approached me for taking this product. That was the first thing that we started and it's really a very inspirational like when we make any product
00:18:52
Speaker
Are your products only available in India right now? So yes, so right now we are in to pan India, but now I am working on an initiative called planet chain makers. So I have a chain makers of products from 30 countries. They are promoting our products and they are becoming a planet chain makers.
Social Impact Through Sustainable Practices
00:19:10
Speaker
So we always inspire youngsters to be a part of that and we will give them a very good opportunity to promote UNICO product in their countries and they can start their own project in their countries and represent UNICO over there. And also like one thing I also want to add in this, like once we started, so like earlier we decided we are making since we are into manufacturing startup, so we have to build some product out of them.
00:19:39
Speaker
I realized like why not in India there are a lot of marginalized communities to whom people don't want to support them so like when we are started so like there's a sonu bhaya he's like especially able he can't walk properly so he usually come up with their walking sticks and all so he came to us and he said like I just I am looking for a
00:20:06
Speaker
Job, it will be very honored if you can give me a job and he is earning only $100 in a month. His salary is only $100 in a month.
00:20:18
Speaker
and he just want me to give them a job in Unico and it will be great if we can give them so I I not because at that time we are also in initial stage since our parents is not supporting us so I said that I am not going to promise you that I am going to be giving you a job I can try my best so we have a one product called
00:20:43
Speaker
my clear folder. So it's an alternative to file folder, which will be a plastic file folder. We make it a recycled file folder. And we mentioned that I am not a clearback, but my intentions are very clear. Well, okay, guys. So when you support Unico, you're not only supporting and helping make the world a more of your friendly place, but you're helping real people like your money is helping marginalized people. So
00:21:13
Speaker
That, and also I wanted to talk about your product because something about, I don't know about your product is they make me think of sustainable things that I never would have thought. Like for example, you have like the name holders available for conferences, like the name tag things available. I had never thought like, yeah, that's like big waste plastic.
00:21:38
Speaker
you think about is just things like that it's like we all know about like classic straws and whatnot but um
00:21:46
Speaker
So what you guys are more than just a company though? So we are looking for some partners in different countries so like especially with the people who are less than 25 years and we invited them to become a planet chain maker and then we will give them all our business like project to them and they can start promoting our products in their countries and
00:22:09
Speaker
That was the first thing and talking about the communities, we are making the people happy and all. So we and about the products. So every month we innovate three different new products and all products that we have have different stories, like in terms of their design, in terms of their packaging, in terms of their manufacturing, like we're going to manufacture those products, but the story behind them.
00:22:36
Speaker
how to make this product, what is the uniqueness in that. So these are the key factors that we have in every product of UNIFO and we have now we have more than 50 plus products and like from the gifting part from the event and conferences and for profit utility. So we usually deal with corporates, we help them to make
00:23:01
Speaker
make their to reduce their carbon footprint. We help event and conferences to make their event and conference zero waste, like from initially from their gifts, from their ID card, with name tags and all. So we help them and third thing category that we are targeting is office utilities. So we help
00:23:22
Speaker
office, corporate, organization, institutes, schools and all that they can make their office deal based by using UNICO products and if they are using UNICO products they will create a dual impact. One is on the environment and second one is on the communities to whom we are supporting.
00:23:41
Speaker
This is so, so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing all this information. Your products are a huge inspiration for the green product market, including all the different actions that you can take in order to reduce the CO2 emissions, the water waste, the trees that they are used in the whole process of paper production, etc.
Closing Thoughts on Environmental Change
00:24:05
Speaker
Well, I have bad news and good news. Bad news first? Okay, so, well, it's the end of the episode with Ankit. We'd like to thank you again for sharing your amazing company with us.
00:24:15
Speaker
Yes, thank you for inviting me and it's been very honored. The time for change is now. We can no longer sit back and ignoring the climate change. Israel and stable changes must be made. Do not forget to follow UNICO on Instagram at UNICO or check out their website www.unico.com
00:24:36
Speaker
The good news? We have plenty of more episodes for you to listen to. If you want to learn more about companies creating an environmental impact takeout episode 31 where students turn pine cones into clinic products for episode 21 about COP26. Until next time, do not forget to keep changing the world. Bye!
00:25:07
Speaker
Thank you guys for listening. We hope you enjoyed the conversation. We had such a great time. Make sure to leave us a review. If you want more Changemakers content, you can follow us on Instagram at ginsears2rise and on Facebook at changemakersz.