The Mend Packaging is a manufacturing startup.
What is The Mend Packaging?
Founded by Prianka Jhaveri, Rishika Reddy, and Rhea Kothari in 2020, The Mend Packaging is India’s first customizable sustainable packaging company. The Mend packaging works towards transforming discarded materials to create innovative packaging solutions. It works with brands all across the globe.
“Our vision is overall environment improvement of our community globally. Along with that, we are trying to be transparent about our pricing, material used, etc to bring awareness.” says the founder.
In an interaction with Jobifynn, Ms. Prianka mentioned, “Packaging is the largest contributor to landfill waste all across the world since it’s used across every single industry and it’s never disposed of correctly. So our mission is to provide businesses with end-to-end packaging solutions that are sustainable, from designing and manufacturing to circular waste management within their organization.”
| Startup | The Mend Packaging |
| Website | themendpackaging.com |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Hyderabad, India |
| Products | Packing |
| Revenue Model | B2B, Service Fee |
How did it start?
When the pandemic hit, many parcels were coming in, from groceries to medical supplies.
“What triggered me was that when I ordered a packet of batteries, it came with an unnecessary big packaging with layers of bubble wrap. I realized how much packaging is being wasted,” says Ms. Prianka.
Now they offer end-to-end solutions – starting from packaging design, manufacturing, and execution as well as helping clients with disposal options and kilo waste management.
Quick Overview
Growth rate
In the past 2 years, The Mend Packaging has seen massive traction across all industries. There have been clients, not just because of government intervention, but also because of personal choices and growing awareness.
“We have witnessed a 60% increase this year in orders than last year,” says Ms. Prianka.
Slowly this pandemic inspired start-up pioneered in using global technologies as well as existing domestic technology to make packaging that is made from recyclable, biodegradable, reusable, and compostable materials.
Area of operation
The Mend Packaging is registered in Hyderabad. There are no official headquarters since the work is based on an alligator model. So far, they have majorly focused on tier 1 cities.
The Mend Packaging Team
The Mend Packaging started with three co-founders, and now they have a team strength of 6.
Target Market
Mend Packaging’s current target is the FMCG sector, with a particular focus on beauty, apparel, and consumer electronics.
Revenue Model
The Mend Packaging runs on a commission-based model. As mentioned earlier, they have an alligator model and charge a service fee to their clients based on their requirements.
Initial Challenges
The Mend Packaging faced a lack of awareness and accessibility to raw materials, especially on the vendors’ side.
“I remember we would call vendors who would say that they use paper so they are eco-friendly. But it is not true since packaging paper has a layer of plastic in it in order to produce vibrant colors.”
“We realized that India is a net importer of waste because we do not segregate our waste due to which our waste does not get recycled. So we are importing our waste from South America and Eastern Europe. And since we pay duties on them, sustainable alternatives become expensive.” says Ms. Prianka.
“Our technical knowledge and research about the right materials along with working with local paper mills and vendors rather than imported materials for cheaper raw materials are what eventually worked in our favor”, says Ms. Prianka.
The Mend Packaging Competition
“Globally, there are a few competitors like EcoEnclose. But in India, we are the first to offer customized and end-to-end sustainable packaging solutions. There are companies into sustainable packaging but they are not custom made and they focus on one product only” says Ms. Prianka.
Future Expansion Plans
“Our current focus is on R&D, both with new materials and existing products. For instance, we are currently working on the development of a marine biodegradable film that resembles plastic but can be dissolved in 5-7 minutes. We are also working on improving the existing corrugated fluting for cushioning instead of bubble wrap.” says Ms. Prianka.
Apart from that, The Mend Packaging is also going to host India’s first sustainable packaging summit with shareholders coming together to discuss the issue.
Business Type
The startup deals with the B2B mode currently. Clients are focused on FMCG, especially Beauty, apparel, and Consumer electronics to name a few. Their products are produced in bulk and custom-made as per clients on B2C as of now.
SWOT Analysis
Their strength is that they have a Niche product and they have the first mover’s advantage.
Their weakness is that it is a difficult task for them to create a diversion from existing supply chains of companies.
They have found growth opportunities in increasing demand.
They consider that many companies who are trying to mimic products that may not be sustainable can be a threat.
The Mend Packaging Funding
The Mend Packaging has yet to receive any external funding, they are completely bootstrapped.
The Mend Packaging Founders
Prianka Jhaveri: Bachelors in Physics and Economics.
Rishika Reddy: Bachelors in Management and Economics.
Rhea Kothari: Bachelors in Economics, Sociology, and Psychology.
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What is the aim of The Mend Packaging?
The aim is overall environment improvement of our community globally. Along with that, we are trying to be transparent about our pricing, material used, etc to bring awareness.