As you add greenery to your apartment or home, it would help the environment even more if it’s done in a recycled grow bag.
Jinay Gada, a 20-year-old student from Thane, has built lightweight grow bags and vertical gardens using recycled fabric.
Started in 2021 when he was just 17, Planteria uses fabric made out of recycled plastic bottles and covers.
“The bags are sturdy, regulate water drainage, and promote air pruning. To date, I have sold over 4,000 grow bags, recycling over three lakh PET bottles,” says Jinay.
The third-year BCom student started gardening during the first lockdown in 2020, which led to him innovating these grow bags.
Coming from a textile background, he experimented with different kinds of fabrics. When they didn’t work, he sourced non-woven fabric made from discarded plastic collected in landfills.
“The grow bags are lightweight and can drain water from the sides and bottom. Owing to its porous texture, there is air circulation from all sides, which promotes fast root growth,” says Jinay.
He noticed that roots don’t get enough air in plastic pots, which are not breathable.
Started from home, using the help of local tailors, Planteria has grown over time, with the student setting up a factory in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra.
He sources the fabric from recyclers in Jaipur and Panipat, who segregate the plastic bottles, crush them and convert them into a fabric called Geofelt.
It is made into grow bags and Vertifelt modules (lightweight, soil-based garden pockets) at Planteria’s factory. This works well in urban spaces where there is lack of space.
Jinay shares that they have installed vertical gardens at offices, petrol stations and even below a flyover in Mumbai. He is working with landscapers.
“Vertical gardens reduce carbon footprints and keep cities cooler,” he says.
The Vertifelt modules come with a waterproof layer, irrigation layer and breathable layer for air flow.