When COVID-19 struck the nation, quite a few households, together with the Sharma household in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, turned to air fresheners and sanitisers. Positioned of their lounge, the automated air freshener successfully masked odours, however the household remained unaware of what else it may be emitting.

A report in ScienceDirect states that air fresheners emit over 100 completely different chemical compounds, together with unstable natural compounds. It provides that air freshener exposures, even on the lowest degree, may cause many adversarial well being results — together with migraine complications, bronchial asthma assaults, respiration difficulties, respiratory difficulties, mucosal signs, dermatitis, toddler diarrhoea and earache, and neurological issues.

In 2022, Rajiv Kumar Sharma fell significantly unwell, experiencing extreme vomiting, nausea, and complications, which led to a two-day hospitalisation. Following his discharge, he meticulously investigated the causes of his sudden sickness. Rajiv attributed his well being deterioration to the air fresheners not too long ago launched in his dwelling.

An innovator with a background in carpentry, Rajiv resolved to craft his personal air freshener utilizing wooden and instruments obtainable at dwelling. Gathering flower waste from a close-by temple, he ingeniously created a pure perfume for his do-it-yourself air freshener.

When his school professors on the Nationwide Institute of Design, Andhra Pradesh, heard of his innovation, they determined to assist him good the product and make it prepared for a bigger viewers. After eight months and 20 prototypes, the ALVE air fresheners have been born.

The USP of ALVE, in line with the founder, is that it’s product of pure substances, has a sustainable design (may be composted post-use), and contains sensible expertise.

Rajiv presently runs his startup from his kitchen together with his mom, Sonidevi. Collectively, they’ve offered over 850 air fresheners prior to now 5 months, incomes over Rs 2 lakh.

A hospital go to that sowed the seeds of entrepreneurship

Since his youthful years, Rajiv has been creating varied merchandise. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, he constructed a snug PPE equipment appropriate for prolonged put on. As a member of the Jharkhand Animal Welfare Society, he additionally developed over 50 wheelchairs for injured or paralysed canines.

“My household practised carpentry until just a few years in the past, and I’m adept at instruments and electrical design as a consequence of my course too,” he tells The Higher India.

When he discovered the dangerous results of air fresheners and couldn’t discover something really eco-friendly, his ardour for creation pushed him to construct one utilizing pure substances.

“There are numerous toxic chemical compounds in air fresheners. All it’s good to do is learn the ingredient checklist behind any air freshener. It’s not protected for kids (talked about within the packaging) and animals to inhale. I needed to make a freshener which was protected for the setting in addition to people and animals,” he provides.

Initially, Rajiv targeted on creating pure fragrances utilizing flower waste. He collected jasmine and roses from a close-by temple, air-dried the petals, floor them into powder utilizing a mixer, and mixed them with coconut husk waste. After permitting the combination to air dry for just a few days, the perfume was ready. Rajiv then positioned this perfume right into a glass bottle and crafted an outer cowl utilizing wooden, leading to his do-it-yourself, eco-friendly perfume.

Although it might appear simple, creating the ultimate product concerned quite a few trials and combos for Rajiv. With help from his mom, who’s the co-founder of ALVE Inexperienced Options, he labored diligently for over eight months. It took greater than 20 prototypes earlier than reaching the best consequence, he informs.

“When my professors noticed this, they have been amazed. They mentioned that this must be given to a much bigger viewers and is the necessity of the hour. They helped me good it with the assistance of machines within the school,” provides Rajiv.

A wise, zero-plastic air freshener

The air freshener is on the market in three variants for houses, places of work, and vehicles, providing a alternative of 15 fragrances. Every unit is provided with sensible sensors that robotically activate and deactivate primarily based on the detection of a person’s presence. Moreover, it’s suitable with Google Assistant.

The air freshener incorporates a biodegradable physique that may be composted after use, and its refills are natural — crafted from temple flower waste.

“We use nature’s intelligence in retaining the fragrances. Chemical fresheners use LPG to retain the perfume. We use pure substances for that with no chemical compounds. We don’t use any warmth, water vapour or chemical compounds to diffuse our fragrances. We use our personal Air Diffusion Expertise with sensors to diffuse aroma evenly within the environment,” says the designer.

Rajiv has partnered with greater than 30 temples in Jamshedpur to acquire floral waste. On daily basis, he collects a minimal of three kg of floral waste from every temple. To this point, he has recycled 1,500 kg of temple waste.

One other noteworthy side is that this freshener is protected for animals additionally. Working within the Jharkhand Animal Welfare Society since 2018, Rajiv was shocked by the consequences of human behaviour on animals.

“We used to rescue cows and bulls. Once they have been operated upon, veterinarians discovered plastic of their stomachs, which they weren’t capable of digest. I’ve been in opposition to plastic use since that day. Our fresheners too don’t have any plastic in them. Simply put our gadget in your backyard after use and it’ll get composted,” he shares.

Working the startup from his dwelling presently, Rajiv hopes to increase quickly. ALVE Inexperienced Options has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Administration Bangalore, the place 5 school college students will probably be working with the startup to develop the product. The air fresheners are presently being offered offline, at occasions, and thru their web site.

“ALVE is derived from the phrase Alveoli — a tiny sac-like construction current in our lungs — which is answerable for the alternate of carbon dioxide and oxygen. With out this organ, the physique fails to outlive, thus making it a most necessary a part of our physique,” explains Rajiv.

Equally, he explains that he needs ALVE to be an necessary a part of every dwelling for more healthy dwelling. “I wish to create merchandise that not solely meet human wants but additionally go away a optimistic imprint on our planet. Our imaginative and prescient at ALVE is to encourage a world the place contemporary, clear air isn’t a luxurious however a sustainable normal,” he shares.

Edited by Pranita Bhat