Studying at the prestigious Indian Institute of Crafts and Design in Jaipur, Radhesh Agrahari’s path took an unexpected turn that led him to pioneer a unique initiative in waste management.
His entrepreneurial journey was set in motion during his college days when he found himself in a peculiar situation.
Due to his part time job, Radhesh missed a crucial class assignment where students were tasked with selecting waste materials for a research project.
Left with few options upon his return, he brought a bag containing chicken butchery waste to class. The unpleasant surprise resulted in his expulsion from the classroom.
This setback, however, sparked a groundbreaking idea that would shape his future. His unconventional approach caught the attention of the faculty, who saw potential in his initiative to address the issue of chicken butchery waste.
“Today, the entire world is working towards plastic recycling, but not many are talking about chicken butchery waste which is either incinerated or ends up in landfills and water bodies,” Radhesh explains.
This marked the beginning of ‘Golden Feathers’, a startup dedicated to upcycling chicken butchery waste into valuable products.
The startup focuses on converting various components of chicken waste, like feathers, intestines, and blood, into sustainable materials such as ‘wool-like’ fiber and handmade paper.
Through a meticulous process that involves collection, sterilisation, and innovative technology, the company creates a range of products including shawls, quilts, stoles, and more.
Selling these products in the B2B market, Radhesh says his company has been able to divert 73 lakh kg of chicken butchery waste from polluting the environment.
For his work, Radhesh has received 25 national and international level awards, including The German Design Award, Lexus Design Award, and Swachhata Startup Award.