Every morning, temples burst with the color of flowers. Devotees come with hope and offer flowers in gratitude to the god. But by evening, those same flowers, the ones laid down with prayers, end up tossed in piles. Either chucked into rivers or dumped in landfills. It’s heartbreaking to see vibrant flowers like that. And every day, the country’s waste problem just keeps growing. In Kanpur, Ankit Agarwal and Prateek Kumar saw this happening and thought there must be a better way to resolve this problem.
Turning Petals Into Something New
Ankit and Prateek didn’t just stand by. They launched Phool.co to give those discarded temple flowers another productive life. Their team collects the flowers, even those treated with pesticides, and cleans them up. Then, transforms them into incense sticks (no charcoal here), compost, eco-friendly packaging, and Fleather, a plant-based leather alternative. Suddenly, what used to be trash turns into something useful and even desirable.
From Waste to Work
Before sunrise, Phool.co teams arrive at temples in cities like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Bodh Gaya, and Badrinath. They collect the flowers before they get mixed in with regular garbage. In the workshops, petals are washed, dried, and sorted, each batch destined for a new purpose. They don’t let anything go to waste. Yes, it helps the environment, cleaner rivers, and less landfill. However, the work creates jobs for hundreds of women and marginalized workers, provides them with a stable income, new skills, and a sense of pride.
Belief Makes It Possible
A big idea needs backers. Over the last few years, Phool.co pulled in about $9.4 million (over ₹106 crore) from investors like Sixth Sense Ventures, Indian Angel Network (IAN Fund), Social Alpha/Tata Trusts, and even Bollywood’s Alia Bhatt. These fundings give them hope to grow faster, sharpen their recycling tech, and bring their flower rescue mission to more cities.
Blending Tradition and Progress
Phool.co proves you don’t have to pick tradition over innovation. With their process, temple flowers turn into compost, green packaging, Fleather, and Florafoam, a plant-based swap for plastic. Every petal they recycle means less garbage, cleaner water, and a real move toward a circular economy.
Why Phool.co Matters
India’s waste problem isn’t going anywhere on its own. Phool.co isn’t just a company, it’s a movement. Each flower they save stands for cleaner water and a shot at a better future. Who knew even tossed-out flowers could be a sign of hope?
