We have seen paper crafted from elephant dung, plantable diaries embedded with seeds, and bamboo pens. Adding to the record of eco-friendly stationery merchandise are Rupankar Bhattacharjee and Aniket Dhar, who’re turning water hyacinth into stationery at Kumbhi Kagaz in Guwahati, Assam.
Their present product vary consists of notebooks, journals, and calendars which are compostable, and chemical-free
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
The thought for the initiative emerged from an sudden second in Nature, says Rupankar, who can also be a wildlife conservationist. “While releasing a rescued python back into the wild, as members of the NGO Help Earth, we became aware of the destructive impact of water hyacinth on local water bodies. During this experience, herpetologist DrJayaditya Purkayastha, also our mentor, shared his frustration with the invasive plant and its ecological consequences,” says Rupankar, 27, including that underneath Jayaditya’s steering, he and Aniket started researching the plant. They found that water hyacinth has a excessive cellulose and hemicellulose content material, making it a promising uncooked materials for papermaking. “During the COVID-19 lockdown, we started experimenting with handmade paper using DIY methods and successfully developed our first prototypes. Around the same time, we co-founded The Inside Out Program, focussed on conservation awareness through trekking and biodiversity documentation.”
A snapshot of the making course of
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Their present product vary consists of notebooks, journals, and calendars which are compostable, and chemical-free. In 2021, the duo received the UK-based WasteSupport Zero Waste Cities Challenge – Guwahati, and shortly after, they bagged the Tide 2.0 title at Assam Downtown University Venture Labs and the India Pitch Pilot Scale Startup Challenge.
Taking us by the method, Rupankar says they comply with a conventional handmade papermaking course of, with trendy interventions launched to enhance effectivity and sustainability. First, water hyacinth is harvested from wetlands and allowed to dry naturally, both close to the gathering website or on the processing space. Once dried, the fibrous elements of the plant are cleaned and reduce into small items which are floor with water to create a easy pulp, which kinds the bottom of the paper. Next, this pulp is poured right into a vat and lifted with a display screen to kind a skinny, even layer of moist paper that’s stacked and pressed to take away extra water. After being air dried, the sheets are flattened and trimmed by hand for closing use. “We’ve made specific innovations in pulping and machinery, which allow us to produce chemical-free paper using invasive water hyacinth as our primary raw material,” says Rupankar.
Water hyacinth is an invasive weed
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
At the model’s Deepor Beel unit (in Guwahati, Assam), the duo have collaborated with a small group of farmers from the encircling wetland and educated native artisans from the identical neighborhood to take part in the paper manufacturing course of. “In Kaziranga, we are working closely with Eco Development Committees (EDCs) and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) to involve local communities in conservation-linked livelihood generation. In Goalpara, where we are setting up a new unit — with GAP Fund of Access Development Services supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — we aim to engage over 300 farmers in harvesting and supplying water hyacinth,” says Rupankar.
Rupankar Bhattacharjee and Aniket Dhar
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
But is the method costlier than creating different recycled paper variants? “Our papermaking process is entirely handmade, which makes it approximately five times higher than conventional machine-made recycled paper. This has been especially evident at our smaller unit, where limited drying space has led to production delays and increased costs,” explains Aniket, 24. However, with the setup of our bigger manufacturing unit, he goals to considerably cut back per-unit prices. In addition, the duo is creating merchandise past stationery. “We’re currently testing vegan leather alternatives derived from plant fibres and waste, aiming to create durable, eco-friendly products for the lifestyle and accessories segment,” he says, “We’re also experimenting with the eco-packaging market, developing products like coasters, honeycomb wraps, and water hyacinth-based paperboard.”
Water hyacinth is harvested from wetlands and allowed to dry naturally, both close to the gathering website or on the processing space
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
As they scale up manufacturing, Aniket says their purpose is to “democratise access to sustainable materials”. “We want to ensure that conscious consumption becomes not just a choice, but the norm. You can also look forward to new product lines, deeper community engagement, and more climate-positive innovations that align with our mission of restoring wetlands and supporting green livelihoods,” he concludes.
Journals upwards of ₹500 on kumbhikagaz.com
