Welcome back to Circular Business Podcast, a series where we look into circular economy from the Indian context. I’m your host and dost Sreepriya Sridharan and in today’s episode we will be diving into a sustainable alternatives for brick and concrete.

If you believe that economic progress can go hand in hand with environment regeneration, then go ahead hit the subscribe button, because this podcast is just right for you.

On 6th Feb 2021, Indian farmers protest refocussed our nation’s attention to the nitty grit-ties of our farm infrastructure. This event compelled many citizens to research and understand the causes for this rage along with brainstorming the potential outcomes of the new Farm Bills.

This episode is not about the farmer’s protest, but it is about the circular practices and sustainable innovations that are in practice today around Indian agricultural ecosystem.

By now, many of us are aware of how India is predominantly an agrarian economy. Agriculture sector is one of the most important industries in India, which means it is also a huge employer. Approximately 60 percent of the population works in agriculture and allied industries, contributing about 18 percent to India's GDP.

Now let me bring your focus to the waste cycle in the production process.

Research by Strawcture Eco. suggests that- annually, India generates 500 MT of crop residue (stalk, straw, leaves) with wide regional variability. The highest crop residue estimate was recorded for Uttar Pradesh (60 Mt). Other high crop residue producing regions were Punjab (51 Mt) and Maharashtra (46 Mt).

Today, the residue is used as animal fodder, cooking fuel, organic manure and animal bedding. Even after all these alternative usage, there is a surplus of 234 MT of residue (roughly 46% of gross residue) that goes un-utilized.

But, why are we discussing that today? Well, it gives me immense pleasure to share with you the innovation by Strawcture Eco. who see the potential of using this surplus residue and turning it into a green building material which addresses the problem of stubble burning and affordable housing crisis at the same time.

Our guest for today is Shriti Pandey, Founder and CEO of Strawcture Eco. Shriti envisions to bring about a paradigm shift in how we create, interact with and sustain our built environment. You know, she left her cushy job in New York and returned to India to start her own sustainable construction company and reinvent the existing practices in the this industry.

She founded Strawcture Eco. in 2018. Last year she was named a climate fellow by the New York-based nonprofit Echoing Green and received $90,000 in seed funding. She has recently been acknowledged as the top young entrepreneur of the Forbes Under 30 -2021 list.

Tune into the episode to find out

a) How bio-composite panels replace concrete and brick structures?

b) Straw infrastructures actively in use around the world.

c) How Shriti & her team are transforming the ecosystem including bank loan provisions to enable the adoption for bio-composite housing construction?

d) What green building infrastructure means to you?

Website : https://strawcture.com/our-technology/

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