
PHOOL
Model & Strategy
PHOOL (meaning flower in Hindi) is a for-profit Indian enterprise that employs at-risk women from vulnerable Dalit communities to upcycle floral waste into high-margin products such as incense, organic compost, and a biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam. PHOOL collects more than 4 tons of floral waste every day from temples in Uttar Pradesh in an effort to divert this toxic waste from the Ganges, ultimately improving the river’s health. HelpUsGreen’s mission is to employ 51,000 marginalized and at-risk women by 2025, proving them with training, a bank account, health insurance—and above all, treating them with dignity, respect, and providing healthier, predictable livelihoods that were never before attainable.



PHOOL (formerly HelpUsGreen) is led by founder and CEO Ankit Agrawal. Prior to founding PHOOL, Ankit worked at Symantec Corporation as an automation scientist and has 17 research papers and a Patent. His interest in sustainability stems from the research he did for Waste tyre pyrolysis. Ankit received his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from PICT, Pune followed by a Master in Innovation Management from SIBM, Pune.
Impact
To date, PHOOL has employed nearly 200 women, who have upcycled over 2,500 metric tons of floral waste and helped to offset more than 275 kilograms of pesticide residue from the Ganges.
PHOOL aims to employ 2,100 marginalized and at-risk women from vulnerable Dalit communities by 2021, training them to sort flowers and produce PHOOL’s line of products at central production facilities and providing them and their families with transformative socio-economic opportunities.
In mid-2017, PHOOL secured land for its first production facility in Kanpur. Phool started a second production facility in Tirupati last year, with additional facilities to serve the religious temple towns of Varanasi, Brindavan, and Puri over the next three years.
The environmental impact of flowercycling and the development of environmental alternatives to Styrofoam and animal leather alternatives is considerable.
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As the women in Bihar today prepare to perform #SandhyaArghya for long life & progress of their husband & children,… https://t.co/0Of1HIajiG
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As the sun shines brighter today rising to the most awaited festival of the year, #Diwali, Phool takes this day to… https://t.co/sr9glSdMiG
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This Dhanteras, in continuation of our series- #TributetotheIndianArtforms, Phool pays a tribute to the centuries-o… https://t.co/6cKQWrZ9xZ
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This #Dussehra, Phool pays a tribute to the art style of the national artist Jamini Roy by remembering his work on… https://t.co/vOaF0n7zrr
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Does #Durga only live in temples? How did Lord Shiva get the avatar of Ardhnarishwar? Know with the next story in c… https://t.co/HNPrVVi464
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This #DurgaPooja, Phool pays a tribute to the painting style of the national artist from an obscure village in West… https://t.co/ceHxKxPKfr
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Where does the endurance of a homemaker come from? Let's know with the next story… https://t.co/GyvIkzEBtZ
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Does she live as a woman who fearlessly fights for her rights daily? Let's find o… https://t.co/KFlPF4ZvLZ
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Is she present in every single woman who is seen as vulnerable? Let's find out wi… https://t.co/thRaAWFzea
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Does #Durga only exist in temples? Where does a mother's strength come from? Know with the next story from our… https://t.co/y8mP11RyQW
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Isn't it her that is all around us? Know how the feminine energy fulfilled this w… https://t.co/YmwCvre9wd
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Do you recognise the Durga in a new bride? Find out why Devi Parvati had to assum… https://t.co/L2cOYB7Dxp
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Does #Durga only live in temples? Let's find out in our new story from #NAVRATRA series about second avatar of Durg… https://t.co/U3bR2Zudpl
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As we set ourselves to celebrate this #NAVRATRA, let's take a moment to think- does Durga only live in temples? Our… https://t.co/gnwErUo4KG
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How was the idea of making a #veganleather from temple flowers conceived? Read the story about Fleather, the biomat… https://t.co/fCi7oSQJ5I
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It was a delightful experience to share about our journey with @FinancialXpress. Read the full article to know abou… https://t.co/myb4h0jlC0
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#SarvodayaMovement, an ideology initiated by #MahatmaGandhi. Little do we know today of his forward looking thought… https://t.co/zNt1etA5XS
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This #GandhiJayanti, Phool dedicates its next painting from the series- #TributetoIndianArtforms to the ideologies… https://t.co/8VOQBRbRkd