INDIGENOUS INNOVATIONS Shimoga, Karnataka

Reduce Plastic, Recycle Paper, Reuse Cloth Bags.... For A Sustainable Future. That is the motto and mantra for Indigenous Innovations. We have introduced a wide range of carry bags as a replacement to plastic polythene bags that are harmful to the environment. We produce all types of paper bags and cloth bags.  Most manufacturers produce paper bags from virgin white paper and coating them with chemicals. Instead of this harmful process, Indigenous Innovations uses only recycled craft paper and cotton handles in its bag production. We use 100% recycled craft paper with a thickness of 180GSM+ and 20+ Burst Factor to keep our bags strong and sturdy enough to withstand nearly 5kgs of weight and rough handling. This not only ensures recycling of waste paper, but also provides business to local paper manufacturing industries. Further, we employ underprivileged women for making handmade craft paper bags and the entire process is completely manual. We mainly produce three types of paper bags – – Box folded paper bags with handle – Stitched paper bags with handle – Paper pouches without handle These paper bags come with different types of handles – – Cotton tape handles – Synthetic rope handles – Rolled paper handles Since paper bag is our flagship product, we have ventured into various types of bags to cater to different clients with different needs – –  Bottle Bags that are narrow enough to perfectly fit a bottle – Cake Box Bags that are wide enough to hold a cake box – Pet Food Bags to carry heavy pet food bags – Hardware bags to carry nuts and bolts Although we cannot beat the price of plastic carry bags, we try our best to sell paper bags at an affordable price for our larger goal to nurture nature through our efforts. Cloth Bags Apart from paper bags, we also produce cotton cloth bags that are stitched by our self-help groups consisting of underprivileged women in Shivamogga. We mainly produce three types of cloth bags – – Handloom cotton cloth bags for regular use – Starched cotton cloth bags for shopping – Foldable synthetic material shopping bags

Biodegradable plates have begun to replace the environmentally harmful plastic cups and Styrofoam plates. Plates and cutlery made from Arecanut leaves are the most prominent among eco-friendly dinnerware. The recent ban on plastic packaging has persuaded consumers to buy more arecanut cutlery since they are elegant substitute to disposable plastic material. Fallen leaves from arecanut trees are collected, cleaned and processed in an eco-friendly manner without any use of chemicals to fabricate beautiful cutleries. The natural texture and the glow of the leaf make the end-product look plastic coated, which makes it water resistant. Texture of the product maintains its quality during long periods of storage, but is biodegradable once it is disposed after use. We at Indigenous Innovations produce a diverse range of arecanut leaf cutlery - Plates Cups Bowls Spoons Soap Boxes Glasses Containers

Banana Fiber products are one of the most environmentally friendly ones since they are 100% biodegradable and are produced from banana stem waste. Banana fibers in their natural state produce a highly absorbent material. The key factor is the high porosity and natural capillary action of the fiber, allowing it to absorb oil. Banana fiber is a super-sorbent, in that less fiber product is needed to remediate any spillage. Banana fibers can be used in sorbent socks, pillows and booms, or as loose fiber to clean up land-based spills.  A variety of products have been made from banana fibers in India and other banana growing countries. . The banana fibers are reported to be elegant and highly versatile. As they do not crumple easily, these fibers have been used in the manufacture of dress materials. The Japanese national dress – the Kimono is also made from this raw material. The fineness of texture depends on the quality of the fiber used. The material has a beautiful sheen and is used for making wedding gowns and barongs. Hand-extracted fibers have been used to produce handbags, wall hangings, table mats and other fancy craft. Banana Fiber was primarily used for making items like ropes, mats, and some other composite materials. With the increasing environmental awareness and growing importance of eco-friendly fabrics, banana fiber has also been recognized for all its good qualities and now its application is increasing in other fields too such as apparel garments and home furnishings. Due to its being lightweight and comfortable to wear, it is still preferred by people there as summer wear. Banana fiber is also used to make fine cushion covers, bags, table cloths, curtains etc. Rugs made from banana silk yarn fibers are also very popular world over. Although about 500, 000 hectares are under banana cultivation in India, only 10% of the banana stem waste is processed into fiber. If farmers decide to supply banana stems to these fiber processing units, they would not only clear waste at no cost, but also would benefit from their earnings. By producing and exporting banana fiber, Indigenous Innovations is endeavoring to provide an additional income for farmers in the region and improve their standard of living.