ENVIRONMENT FOR ECONOMY: A CASE STUDY OF DENMARK
Ishita Paul
September 25, 2022
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Go Do Good: The Story of a Sustainable Packaging Revolution
By Ketul
Updated 13 Sep, 2024
10 min read
Contents
One of the most important resources on Earth, water is getting harder to get as a result of pollution and overuse. Khushboo Gandhi stood on the banks of a crystal-clear river in the Himalayas, watching the ice water shimmer in the sunshine. It was the type of setting that reminded you of the strength and beauty of unspoiled nature, making you feel little in the best conceivable manner. Khushboo had been walking with a small group for seven days, away from her home city of Mumbai’s busy streets. She felt closer to the planet than ever before in this place of high peaks and quiet interrupted only by the sound of the river running.
However, it was also in this serene environment that her thoughts started to change. As she grabbed the soap to wash her hands, she became aware of a disturbing realization: A common, daily commodity like soap was dissolving into the water. Its compounds, innocuous in her city existence, were now tainting this isolated wilderness’s purity. Khushboo looked astonished. How could anything so ordinary endanger an ecosystem that is already so delicate? And if washing her hands could have such a profound effect, imagine the myriad other ways she and the rest of society were unintentionally harming the environment?
This epiphany was a pivotal moment. In the solitude of the Himalayas, Khushboo started to reflect about the greater ramifications of contemporary life in addition to her personal behavior. Could she carry on with her life in the same manner without endangering the ecosystem? And could she really do anything, anything at all, to change things in a way that would last?
Khushboo’s Journey Back to Mumbai
The sharp contrast between the hectic city life and the tranquility of the Himalayas troubled Khushboo when she returned to Mumbai. Her career had been a frenzy of artistic endeavors up until that moment; she had experimented with packaging, graphic arts, and fashion design. However, her thoughts kept going back to the river, the soap, and the more important query: What was the real price of the ease she had always taken for granted?
She started to see waste in everything, particularly in the packaging industry. The majority of goods that people ate were packaged in plastic, which was an afterthought about the actual goods. However, this “afterthought” was not going away. It was building up and leaking into the earth, the seas, and even our food.
Khushboo understood that she had to do more than just spread awareness of the problem if she was to actually effect change. She had to come up with practical, workable ideas that could be incorporated into daily life, beginning with packaging, which is one of the most obvious representations of our disposable society.
That was a difficult assignment. Since Khushboo lacked a formal education in chemistry, the thought of creating novel materials seemed daunting. If anything, though, her journey had taught her that real transformation is difficult to achieve. Equipped with resolute determination, she set out to thoroughly explore the realm of sustainable materials, acquiring knowledge on biomimicry, circular economies, and green chemistry. She enrolled in online classes, looked for mentors, and gradually started to see a different path ahead.
The Birth of Go Do Good
Following years of research and concept development, Khushboo established Go Do Good in 2019, a materials innovation studio dedicated to producing environmentally responsible packaging. This was Khushboo’s ambition to completely reimagine packaging, so it was more than simply a business endeavor.
The goal of Go Do Good was straightforward but effective: to replace dangerous plastics and synthetic materials with biodegradable, biobased substitutes. Khushboo set out to produce packaging with her small but committed team that would not only be better for the environment, but also be able to biodegrade back into nature without leaving any trace.
The creation of biodegradable films from seaweed was the team’s first achievement. These seaweed-based bags have the ability to retain water and oil for days before dissolving in hot water and turning into a nutrient-rich fertilizer, in contrast to traditional plastic, which can take millennia to break down. It was a simple, beautiful answer to one of the most important issues facing humanity.
However, difficulties were bound to arise with any large-scale undertaking. It was challenging to scale up manufacturing while preserving the seaweed bags’ environmentally beneficial qualities and making them economically feasible. Nevertheless, Khushboo and her group persisted in their goal because they were confident that if they worked hard enough, they could introduce this idea to a wider audience.
The Packaging Industry at a Crossroads
Khushboo saw more and more how her effort was having an influence on society as Go Do Good grew in popularity. Millions of tons of plastic garbage wind up in landfills and the ocean every year, making the packaging sector one of the biggest contributors to the worldwide plastic waste problem. Although a lot of businesses were starting to realize that they needed to adapt, very few had practical answers.
In order to create sustainable packaging, Khushboo didn’t simply want to replace plastic; she wanted to upend the entire system. Every material used at Go Do Good is created with the circular economy in mind, guaranteeing that packaging can be recycled or composted without producing any hazardous waste. The group has also created a novel covering for paper goods that does away with the necessity for layers made of petrochemicals, which make paper unrecyclable. These paper goods may now naturally biodegrade, ending the waste cycle.
Khushboo’s art demonstrates a profound change of perspective on our interactions with the outside world. She frequently asserts that sustainability is an attitude rather than merely a fad. It’s about realizing that every choice we make, down to the type of soap we use and the packaging we throw away, has an impact on the environment. Although Khushboo acknowledges the value of individual initiatives, she also thinks that collaboration across companies, sectors, and customers is necessary for real change to occur.
A Journey of Innovation and Impact
From a tiny design firm, Go Do Good has grown into a sustainable movement over time. In addition to home-compostable films and foams, the team has been experimenting with novel materials, such as bamboo and water hyacinth. Every invention has a specific goal in mind: to produce packaging that benefits the environment in addition to reducing waste.
Being transparent is one of the most important things Khushboo has learned throughout her journey. Go Do Good adopts an alternative strategy to many businesses that conceal behind nebulous promises of sustainability. Their materials’ performance and breakdown are thoroughly explained to clients through the regular sharing of testing data. As a result of their transparency, many of their clients have grown to trust them and are now more inclined to convert to environmentally friendly packaging.
Even while there have been challenges along the way, particularly in persuading bigger corporations to switch to environmentally friendly options, Khushboo is optimistic. The reality of plastic trash is becoming more widely acknowledged, and more companies are realizing that sustainability benefits their bottom line as well as the environment.
The Future of Sustainable Packaging
With Go Do Good expanding, Khushboo is looking forward to a bright future. The group is developing a foam that can be composted at home as well as more sophisticated biodegradable films. Additionally, they want to grow their business without sacrificing their dedication to sustainability, making sure that every product they make is as eco-friendly as possible.
Khushboo believes that encouraging people to reconsider their relationship with the environment is more important than simply reducing the amount of plastic garbage produced. She thinks Go Do Good can start a bigger movement that inspires people and companies to adopt solutions that are good for the environment and for people by developing sustainable alternatives.
Conclusion
Khushboo Gandhi’s path from an inquisitive mountain hiker to the creator of Go Do Good serves as evidence of the impact that little deeds may have. From a eureka moment by a river, the idea has expanded into a goal to transform the packaging business, one material at a time.
Go Do Good is a movement that encourages all of us to do better and take better care of the planet, not just a business. One thing is certain, though, as Khushboo and her colleagues carry on innovating: the future of sustainable packaging is looking more promising than it has ever been.
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