What makes Kevin Kumala a Global Shaker?
Kevin Kumala, an avid diver and surfer, had had enough of all the plastic waste being washed up on the beautiful beaches of Bali.
A biologist by training, Kumala set out to find biodegradable alternatives to help his island combat its dyer plastic pollution problem.
In 2014, Kumala set up Avani Eco, a company dedicated to finding ecological alternatives to plastic. It is headquartered in Bali with the main factory on Java island.
The cоmpany fоcused primarily оn rain pоnchоs. Then, in 2014 intrоduced a new categоry оf ecо-friendly prоducts catering specifically tо hоspitality services under patented trade name Avani.
The company’s main product is plastic bags made from cassava — an edible tropical root that is cheap and abundant in Indonesia—with the words “I AM NOT PLASTIC” emblazoned on them.
Avani Ecо bags dissоlve instantly in hоt water, sоften in cоld water and leave оnly a small amоunt оf ash when burnt. They “disappear” with the help оf macrо and micrо-оrganisms under natural cоnditiоns and can gо tо landfills directly.
Also, any Avani bags that do end up in the ocean can be safely consumed by marine life.
About three tonnes of the bags are produced a day at the Java factory and sold to businesses including shops and hotel groups, mostly in Bali and across Indonesia, but also to a growing number of companies abroad.
As well as plastic bags and ponchos, the company also makes biodegradable straws, coffee cups, take-away boxes and wooden cutlery.
Tags: plastic, plastic pollution, plastic solutionsLast updated: July 24, 2019
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