Monday, June 30, 2008
Information from our meeting with Idiom strategist
advertisers – youth centric companies – nike – adidas
sell it outlets , retailers take a margin – approx 30 %
advertisement revenue should at least make up for margin
need some form of margin for cash flow
need one price
need samples with print to show retailers
different colours designs
immediate samples, price, diff colours (green black)
need contacts high up.
need bulk
our brand – ecoconfluence – every single bag
our brand colour green
black bag with green ecoconfluence
green bag with white ecoconfluence
immediate effect:
get 10 solid samples with print
proper price
Spar proposal ideas
Our group “Econfluence” was founded in 2005 in MAIS by Agastya Muthana and Nishant Jacob in order to deal with various environmental issues and initiate economically and environmentally viable projects.
Currently we are basing our operation out of the Industree Trust Fund. A trust devoted to inclusive, socially and environmentally sustainable rural development across India.
We have taken on projects including; rain water harvesting schemes, spreading awareness about environmental issues in the Yelehanka community and implementing composting and garbage segregation schemes in homes and schools.
We want to set up a non-profit business that is driven by both economic and environmental forces, thus making the project sustainable in the long run. By offering our bags at low costs to select retail chains we hope to
1.Help stop the profligate use of plastic bags
2.Create a focal point for environmental awareness
Why develop a SPAR, Econfluence partnership?
We believe that we are an ideal fit with your firm because:
Green image: Our bags will help Spar create a responsible, environmentally friendly image in Bangalore
Publicity: We will be giving interviews on radio 91.9 as well as appearing in several news articles (Agastya has already mentioned this project in Interviews by the Deccan Herald and the Indo-Asian News Service) We will mention the Spar brand particularly in future interviews.
Talking point: We believe that our bags will develop into a talking point in Bangalore. This can help Spar loose its MNC sheen (which is, oddly, still considered “bad” by many Indians) and help it sprout an organic, personal, homegrown image.
Sustainability: Higher end retailers like Spar are expected the lead in helping set up a sustainable world.
Customer satisfaction: is bound to grow exponentially. Today climate change and environmentalism are lurking silently at the back of millions of consumer’s heads. Leaving a shop with a trendy, environmentally friendly bag will cause a feel-good factor like no other.
Social phenomenon: Our bags have the potential to cause a social, hip phenomenon much like the “Livestrong” bands. We plan to work hard towards achieving this goal and Spar will ride the crest of the social wave with us if we succeed.
Personalized Products: We will personalize our project to suit Spar’s needs. We can work with Spar to develop bag shapes and sizes customized for your goods.
Supply Information
Labour cost: 8 - 12 rs
Zip: 1.5 rs
Printing: 1 rs
Material: Non woven polyster from recycled plastic bags: 60 GSM - 6 rs meter , 80 GSM - 13 rs per meter. 3.5 - 4 bags from 1 meter.
maximum 15 rs a bag ; total production costs.
Production Centre: Murgan tailor : Krishanagiri beyond hosur. Women Self Help group with 20 tailors.
Our inital small steps idea
1. small steps is not designed to be a packaging substitute as is, it is designed to be a campaign for raising awareness.
By providing customers with the small steps option , we wish to offer them the chance to change their behavior towards the environment and raise awareness in a hands on manner.
We hope to raise awareness by encouraging shoppers to make a conscious decision at the supermarket whether to use plastic bag, or a reusable bag.
We wholeheartedly understand that Small Steps bags are not a packaging substitute. We merely wish to substitute a fraction of the demand for plastic bags with your bags, making the Small Steps environmental cause more visible to the average Indian shoppers eye and hopefully creating a civil movement by capturing the hearts and minds of people.
2. small steps is not meant to be sold as commodity as is.
We do not intend to sell Small Steps bags as a commodity. This is a Non-profit project where Large corporate companies will simply pay for advertising on the bags. The consumer pays a small amount to show his commitment.
The sponsors will cover production costs and shoppers will be free to donate money. making the whole system a very voluntary one a, useful contribution to the economy of abundance.
3. small steps believes in providing subsidy bag to rural India & education sector not to people who go to shopper stop or pantaloons.
We are aiming at the average Indian shopper at stores like Big Bazaar. Our primary goal is to spread environmental awareness not only to rural India & education sector but also all other Indians. The largest polluters today tend to live in cities and spreading awareness among them is important. hundreds of shoppers visit stores like big bazaar everyday if even a small fraction of them are persuaded to look at alternatives it could snowball and perhaps even eventually force large corporations to look beyond the short term.
We are also trying to make the process of spreading awareness in shops fund itself. The project will be more sustainable if it also harnesses market forces to the degree of covering cost prices. This would in no way impinge on the stellar work that small steps is doing by subsidising bags for the rural and education sector.
4. It is routed in the economy of abundunce not of Trading.
To maximise the potential outreach of the economy of Abundance we must harness the economy of trading. That said the economy of abundance is a beautiful mechanism and we are emphasising each consumers right to donate any money if he/she wishes to. The roots Must remain in the economy of abundance, but the branches can grown with the aid of a liberal market economy. We hope to achieve the natural transition described on the small steps website , indeed this was one of the primary sources of our inspiration for the entire project; "The Small Steps shopping bags are not intended for profit. They are, however, intended to be socially sustainable. Though Upasana Design Studio is coordinating the first round of Small Steps bag production, our eventual goal is to place this project in the hands of the people.Through village outreach and training, villagers will be taught how to craft these compact, lightweight bags out of locally-available materials and they may sell them to either create or enhance their livelihood.By promoting the use of cloth bags, Small Steps is trying to clean the roads. But equally as important, it is also trying to create jobs." - {http://smallsteps.in/node/24}
By creating a stir, publicity and a public movement in the urban areas we hope to help small steps realise the dream of using the bags to clean roads, enhance livelihoods and eventually place the projects in the hands of the people by providing them with a large sphere of influence and popular support for their noble actions.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Our idea at a glance
•Environmentally and Economically Sustainable
•Trendsetting
•Providing immediate economic profits
•Large scale Social impact and environmental impact
•Widespread participation, bringing environmentalism to the masses
•large scale orders, bulk production to cover costs
•economies of scale
•New Economically Sustainable Markets
•Predictable orders
•Recognition
2.For Retailers
•Eco branding
•Attracts customers
• Talking point
•Publicity
3.For Consumers
•Nominal price
•Trendsetting, fashionable, stylish
•Building a community of likeminded people
•Livestrong phenomenon
•Hip youth statement
4.For Sponsors
•Eco branding
•Trendsetting
•Permanence
•Small steps
•Social implications: Women producer groups
•Environmentally sound products
•Electronic goods store
•Book stores
•Grocery stores
•Departmental stores
The Eco Bag Plan
Then in 2003 the government negotiated with the Australian Retailers Association for a voluntary progressive reduction of plastic bag use which led to a number of initiatives, including the widespread distribution and promotion of Green Bags.
Green bags have taken Australia by storm, replacing over 80 percent of plastic bags at supermarkets and grocery stores. These bags are made out of hardy polymers or paper and are reusable and recyclable. Green Bags have become a fashion statement in Australia and its almost taboo to be caught walking on the streets swinging about the dreaded plastic packet.
This is the template we had in mind when we approached Small Steps and major Indian retailers and industrialists hoping to implement a similar scheme in India as well. The pilot city would be Namma Bengaluru. The potential for such an endevour is seemingly infinite ; supermarket chains around the city churn out tens of thousands of plastic bags every single day. Unfortunately, though the factories producing these bags are in full swing around the clock, facilities to dispose of this waste are almost non-existent.
At many supermarkets the plastic psyche is so deeply entrenched that entire packaging, accounting and even security systems have been designed and created around them. Many shops don't allow you to leave the premises without requesting you to display a plastic bag sealed with another ugly plastic loop, to verify that you didn't indulge in any shop lifting on your way out. In some other supermarkets, goods from separate sections such as fruits , vegetables and breads are placed in separate packets for the sake of organization and classification, and are then shoved without flinching into yet another gaudy plastic bag. Even though people don't seem to make a fuss , on the inside they must be cringing.
This is the sentiment we hope to ride on. We believe that if people are given a choice , given the opportunity and the means to change the status quo they will rise to the occasion and support an initiative like eco bags. All they have to do is pay a nominal fee , 10-15 rs to purchase a small steps eco bag and suddenly they own the means to combat a serious cause of environmental degradation. We hope to make these bags available at every major supermarket retail outlet and provide people with choice , hope and change.
The bags will be financed in part by corporate sponsorship via advertisements printed on the bags and it is an excellent opportunity for companies to put their money where their mouths are and flex their green muscles. Through the advertising revenue we hope to achieve economic sustainability and since the bags are produced by women producer groups in villages it already fulfills the criteria of social sustainability. These terms should now become a norm in our economic and business language and we hope that this initiative is the first small steps towards this ambitious goal. Plastic bags may be disposably cheap but their true costs are certainly not reflected in their price. In the end is up to the consumers to take the call , pick up the baton and step up to the plate with their full support and enthusiasm in order to make the eco bag a roaring success story in India's epic novel of sustainable growth.
Eco Bags in Australia
There is no stigma carrying one anywhere in Australia and it really is making a huge difference in the country. When you go shopping for anything. Don’t forget to bring your green bag (or any bag for that matter) and tell them you don’t need the plastic bag. The Aussies basically expect it. In some parts of the country they have adopted the green bag culture so intensely (Sydney is one of those areas) that the stigma is now to carry a plastic bag. Far less likely to be a target for thieves than an expensive looking camera bag the ‘green’ bags are now also available in your favorite sporting team colors and usually are $1-$2 available at grocery stores and many other locations. Help protect the oceans, reduce pollution, and fit in like a local !" - {http://www.australiablog.com/planning-a-trip/the-green-bag-phenomenon.html}
The small steps intial idea - connection
"The Small Steps shopping bags are not intended for profit. They are, however, intended to be socially sustainable. Though Upasana Design Studio is coordinating the first round of Small Steps bag production, our eventual goal is to place this project in the hands of the people.
Through village outreach and training, villagers will be taught how to craft these compact, lightweight bags out of locally-available materials and they may sell them to either create or enhance their livelihood.
By promoting the use of cloth bags, Small Steps is trying to clean the roads. But equally as important, it is also trying to create jobs." - {http://smallsteps.in/node/24} http://www.smallsteps.in/
Confluence:
It is our hope that by getting major retailers and industrialists involved in this powerful "small steps" movement and by exposing them to the potential of environmental sustainability we can accelerate the creation of an environmental economy which is viable and self nourishing.
By bringing such concepts to the masses and enabling individuals to make a concious decision to protect the environment while going about their daily groccery shopping , we hope to offer more than juts a bag. We hope to offer them a feeling of empowerment ; the idea that this action of theirs , spending a nominal amount to purchase a small step back and say no to plastic, is real and apparent and current. Not theoretical or ideological, but tangible and viceral. The choice has been made by them , the bag bought by them , the plastic averted by them and the change created by them. In order to handle the massive egological problems that face our country as a whole, we must become the change we wish to see, believe the change we want to see and support the change we can all partake in.
This is all we hope to achieve; change. change we can belive in , change we can take part in and change we can create. People are ready for this kind of change. Consumers are become more concious, retailers are becoming smarter and more sensitive and producers are creating environmentally friendly products. All that there is left to do is connect the dots and act, before it is too late.
Production Proposal to small steps (WE have since moved to our own production supply chain)
To use Small Steps bags to help replace plastic bags across Bangalore with an economically sustainable, large scale model .
Our Plan
We want to organize a supply chain where each player has immediate economic incentives to participate in an environmental economy.
part 1. Small Steps
part 2. Retail Stores
part 3. Consumer pay token amount for bags (at highly subsidized price)
part 4. Sponsors reduce price
Sponsorship:
We want to appeal to the green sentiments of large companies such as Accenture, Titan and ITC.
Practical steps:
We are already in contact with Mrs. Rekha Menon (Lead Executive, Accenture Geographic Services) and Mr. Ronnie Talati (Business Head, Titan Fastrack)
Both of seem very interested in our ideas.
Retailers:
Retailers have a lot to gain , since they can now give away bags at subsidized rates.
Practical steps:
We are already in contact with Mr. Kishore Biyani (CEO, future group) and Mr Viney Singh (Managing Director, Max Hypermarkets). They have agreed to sell/give the bags away at their outlets provided we get a sufficient discount.
Consumers:
We are targeting consumers at retail stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets. Chains such as Foodworld, Food Bazzaar and Reliance Fresh which form a large component of plastic bag consumption. Mobile phone and electronic goods stores are another viable option.
Our market research (which involved showing the bags to customers at stores) shows that consumers here will be happy to pay 10 -25 rupees (depending on the corporate sponsorship we get) to get a reusable bag.
At electronic stores, consumers don’t mind paying upto Rs. 50 for a bag.
Why we need Small Steps?
We subscribe wholeheartedly to the small steps endeavor to create an environmentally and socially sustainable alternative to damaging products such as plastic bags and change people’s mindsets towards ecological sustainability.
Requirements:
We are looking at 10,000 of the largest handheld carry bags for the initial order. This is equivalent to three days of footfall in a single big bazaar, so this number will probably rise as the project progresses.
Conclusion:
We are practical environmentalists and believe that economically and ecologically sustainable projects are the only way forward. We believe that we can make a practical difference and look forward to any suggestions, queries or advice.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who are we?
Our group “Confluence” was founded in 2005 in MAIS by:
Nishant Jacob:
Participant at the national level “Volvo Ocean Adventure” eco – competition for producing paper carry bags out of recycled kitchen waste.
Agastya Muthanna:
Selected as the “Indian Climate Change Champion” by the British Council,for work done to mitigate climate change.
Chosen to represent India, by the Chinese government, for the “Chinese Green Conference”
Keshav Hingorani:
Has a textile background. shares the same passion for this project like the other members. Interested in making this project a viable business combining economics and the well-being of the environment.
We have done numerous projects for our school including implementing a garbage segregation program ,conducting an energy audit and conducting numerous seminars in and outside school about climate change and our environment.
