Conserve India

Area of work: Energy efficiency and Waste Management

Conserve, a non-profit organisation was established in 1998 with mandate to work in the area of energy efficiency and waste management. It has several pioneering achievements to its credit, notable amongst them being:

• Support for the energy efficiency industry in India through assistance in formation of the Council of Energy Efficiency Companies (CEEC)
• Annual compilation of the first ever Indian energy efficiency Industry Directory & Networking guide
• Training over 1000 energy managers in energy efficiency management practices
• Establishment of youth energy clubs
• Pollution under control campaign targeting 300 schools
• Training in waste segregation of co-operative housing societies
• Waste composting program for upper middle class residential localities.

Partners for the above projects have included the Union Ministry of Power, Department of Environment, Delhi government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United State - Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Asian Development Bank, ADB, Petroleum Conservation & Research Association (PCRA), Alliance to Save Energy, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), and Habitat Poly tech, HUDCO.

In 2002, Conserve started working on developing an alternative recycling process that uses abundantly and freely available waste plastic bags as a resource for Income generation for the urban poor through their conversion into a “renewed” material which we call HRP – Handmade recycled Plastic. This material is then used to make a wide range of products with great market appeal. A patent stands filed for the technology developed. This process of recycling is far more environmentally and energy friendly than the conventional plastic recycling process through re-pelletisation. Moreover, it is very employment friendly as it uses existent everyday skills. Environmental restitution, Income generation, recycling, each by themselves, are not new ideas. Conserve’s innovation lies in the way that these processes have been interlinked together through Technology with the market to create sustainable livelihood options for the weakest sections of society.

Conserve is an ethical fashion brand. The brand gives its buyers a new alternative. As opposed to being based on feeding the materialistic aspirations of the buyer the Conserve Accessory or Bag embodies fashion with sensitivity to the environment. It stands for the expression that ‘I care’ for the ‘not haves’.

Certifications:

• Certified by Fair Trade Forum, India,2009
• Applied for certification by ISO 9000:2008

Awards

• PlastIndia Fair, India : Conserve won the Award for one of the best Recycling Technologies, 2008.
• Conserve and Ragbag also won the award for the European Business Award for the Environment, in the International Cooperation category.
• Fashion Access Show, Hong Kong: Conserve won the award for the Best Eco- Friendly Product Collection in Hong Kong in October 2007.