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An altruistic step

Novel idea
Last Updated 27 June 2016, 18:39 IST

There have been many instances where like-minded people in the city have come together and created something for the betterment of the society. The same happened with these three IITians when they observed the environment around them and came up with an idea that could change the way people live.

Priyank Jain, Harshal Chaudhari and Rahul Jaiswal came up with a solution that can solve the issue of disposing off scrap from people’s homes and workplaces. The idea struck them through their personal and professional experience, where each of them noticed the amount of scrap that was being generated at their workplaces and at home, and how difficult it was for them to dispose it off. That’s how ‘Encashea’ was started last August.

“Despite having so many players in the unorganised sector, the reliability factor played a big role. Sometimes, they either use faulty weighing equipment or don’t have the transportation to carry such bulky items. Bringing all these experiences together, we thought that there is immense scope for adding value in the industry, especially at a time when we are constantly talking about a ‘swachh’ city. Hence, it should be done on a regular basis,” explains Priyank.

Presently, they are active throughout the city and work through both their website and an Android app. The venture deals in all kinds of paper, metal scrap, plastics and electronic waste (which only a few organisations know how to dispose it off in an environment-friendly way). “There are four categories (listed above) that we are presently looking into. However, we are constantly working on adding more categories and have started collecting old clothes as well. The idea is to provide a one-stop solution to users where they can dispose all their junk to a single platform,” he says.

Once they collect the scrap, everything goes to the warehouse and the grading happens which again categorises these items and then they are finally sent for recycling. Priyank says that though there are similar ventures across the country, what makes ‘Encashea’ different is their use of technology. “Firstly, ours is a completely technology-based venture and the other thing is our back-end services that support the entire operation. We have collected more than 200 tons of waste so far, which we feel is a great achievement for a year-old venture,” adds Priyank.

Explaining how it works, he explains, “People can either visit our website or use the app and schedule a pick-up time and date. Once done, they will get a confirmation mail and the pick-up person comes to the doorstep to collect the items. He will then make an invoice and the payment can be made instantly either in cash, through bank transfer or Paytm.”

Though the venture is for everyone in the city, Priyank points out that most of the their customers are between the age group of 25 to 45 which looks forward to doing their bit for the environment by recycling trash. As for their future plans, Priyank says that they are looking forward to expanding their reach to other cities soon.

“The feedback has been phenomenal. I personally go through each one of them and it is the encouragement that keeps us going,” says Priyank.

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(Published 27 June 2016, 16:21 IST)

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