Making Eco friendly products and Ensuring sales of Rs 50 lakh: Success Story of Nature Bags and Files

There is a micro enterprise located in Pandalam of Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. What makes it stand out is the products that they make. They are making eco-friendly products and makes a sale of Rs 50 lakhs. They avoid the use of non-biodegradable products like plastic which pose a greater threat to the eco system. It is ‘Nature Bags and Files’ Micro Enterprise that is located in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala that functions in tune with nature and help its members earn their living.

Launch of Nature bags and Files

Nature Bags and Files was launched during November 2014 at Mulampuzha of Pathanamthitta under Pandalam CDS (Community Development Society). A group of women who happened to meet at the training class for making eco-friendly products like paper bags and files are behind the launch of this unit. As directed by the Kudumbashree CDS, they registered the unit ‘Nature Bags and Files’. They availed an amount of Rs 2.50 lakh as bank loan and Kudumbashree Mission had given Rs 50,000 as subsidy. Initially, the unit was started in a single room with 3 machines at Smt. Jayalakshmi’s house, who is the president of the unit.

Later, the enterprise had grown into a better enterprise and now it functions in an independent building of 750 sqft area and have 20 modern machineries of their own. A total of 25 people are working in this unit now. As per the work they do, they are paid Rs 300- Rs 500 on daily basis.

Other than Smt. Jayalakshmi, Smt. Sujakumari, Smt. Sujatha, Smt. Suseela and Smt. Jagadamma are the other members of this unit. All of them earn an income of at least Rs 10,000 every month. When they get more work order, other people are outsourced for their work. So indirectly around 100 people get job. Apart from cloth bag, paper bag and paper file making, they had also started garment unit and umbrella making. They are specially making light weight bags using jeans and jute.

Contribution to Plastic Free Campaign

Nature Bags and Files had also contributed to the success of the project Mission Green Sabarimala by the production and contribution of cloth bags. Kudumbashree Mission had been conducting Plastic Free Campaign in connection with Sabarimala Pilgrimage at Sabarimala. Kudumbashree Mission had been associating with Pathanamthitta District Administration, Suchithwa Mission, Forest Department, and Health Department for the successful implementation of the programme. As per the campaign, Kudumbashree women had been collecting plastic covers and bottles from the pilgrims and had been giving them cloth bags in return. They used to collect the plastic covers and bottles with the help of Forest guards at Laha, Kanamala forest check posts. The cloth bags that they distribute were made by the different Kudumbashree Cloth bag making units in the district. Nature Bags and Files had been a major contributor in donating the cloth bags. 200 cloth bags each are distributed daily to the pilgrims. 20 Kudumbashree women from different CDSs in the district used to take part in the campaign.  Pilgrims had been welcoming the plastic free campaign of Kudumbashree Mission with open hearts.

Awards and Accolades

Nature Bags and Files had been awarded the award the constituted by Haritha Kerala Mission, in association with Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Kerala for the best eco- friendly entrepreneur.

Kudumbashree Mission had been helping this Micro Enterprise Unit by giving technology fund, crisis management fund etc. during the right time. Apart from that, the work order for stitching the uniform of Kudumbashree Mission’s ‘Café Kudumbashree’ members and the uniform of those who work on the railway parking management sector were given to this Kudumbashree Micro Enterprise unit. Nature Bags and Files now functions also as a Kudumbashree training agency which give training to new micro entrepreneurs on Entrepreneurship Development.

With their committed and socially committed work, Nature Bags and Files had been bringing in positive changes in the society thereby raising themselves. It is sheer confidence that brought the micro entrepreneurs of Nature Bags and Files to greater heights. By extending opportunities to many women like the entrepreneurs of Nature Bags and Files, Kudumbashree Mission is giving wings to the dreams of many.