Wealth From Waste

Wealth from waste is an innovative zero waste concept we present in a world of vagaries, where everything from climate to economy is in a state of constant flux and innovation is the key to sustainable production. In our factories, everything from leaf to root of the raw materials we use, are used up in production. For instance, the slices left over after the manufacture of chips are once again considered for value addition. Whereas the pseudo stem and other parts of the plantain are consumed in fibre production and production of green attire and other eco-friendly and bio-degradable products. * Banana Fibre: Banana fibre is one of our chief produces in the category of "Wealth from Waste". We obtain 1kg of fibre from the trunk of around five plantains. In the district of Wayanad, banana is being cultivated in over 26250 acres of land. On utilising 1% of this, we can produce around 26.25 tonnes of banana fibre, which accounts for 52 lakh rupees. We here at MEGHFARM plan to produce the fibre from 5% of the total plantain cultivated in the district, which will amount to a sum of 2.6 crore Indian rupees, in the upcoming financial year. In order to keep a check on the threats posed by Global Warming, we at MEGHFARM took the initiative to replace non-renewable, non-degradable, and synthetic materials with renewable, biodegradable, and natural Banana pseudostem - an agricultural waste! Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat are the major banana growing states contributing about 80 percent of the total production. There is a huge scope of additional income through appropriate utilization of pseudostem, leaves, suckers, etc. We can extract the fiber from those pseudostems which have extensive uses in industries like textile, paper, and composite materials. The user-friendly, low maintenance, Raspador machines can be used to extract a high percentage of fiber. Enabling a farmer with 10 acres to extract around 1.5 tons of fiber, earning around Rs. 1 lakh INR in two months, excluding expenses. Banana pseudostem fiber can be used in creating articles like currencies, bond papers, or as a replacement for wood pulp in the paper industry, even in manufacturing mattresses, pillows, and cushions in the furniture industry, extensively for making handbags, purses, mobile phone cover, doormats, curtains, and yoga mats. They can also be used as fillers in the manufacturing of textiles. Apart from the fiber, the scutcher waste can be used to produce vermicompost that can be used in farmer’s own field as manure which is available free of cost. There is immense potential in developing value added products from fruits as well as pseudostem. Technical guidance, training, and development of proper market linkage from production to the utilization of the products on a commercial scale is a challenge to all stakeholders. This will not only increase the net income of the farmers, cooperatives, local entrepreneurs, and industries but will also generate employment both in rural as well as urban areas. Though it will decrease the major banana pseudostem waste which will save the environment and from that waste.