Two city educators turn flower waste from temples into wealth

Two educators from the city are turning floral waste from temples into wealth, transforming lives of women from villages in the process. ‘Pushpa Punya’ , a brainchild of Rajan Sharma and Mini Sharma, is an initiative in sustainability, launched in collaboration with the Amritsar chapter of FICCI FLO. It manages flower waste collected from temples and turns them into incense sticks and cones, also offering jobs to 70 women from Jethunangal.

The project transforms discarded floral offerings (dried flowers) into eco-friendly products, combining environmental responsibility with social empowerment.

Both Rajan and Mini are educators, currently teaching in different departments of Guru Nanak Dev University and came up with the idea as they worked together to push for sustainable waste management.

“Pushpa Punya is incubated at the GJCEI (Guru Nanak Dev University’s Innovation and Incubation Centre for Entrepreneurship). One had to start somewhere when talking about waste management and to also combine it with employment generation and financial independence was the driving force behind the project,” said Dr Rajan, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Guru Nanak Dev University. He completed his PhD in ‘Biomass to Biofuel’, and additionally has a degree in ‘Health, Safety and Environment’ as well as a certificate in ‘Product and Brand Management’ from IIM, Amritsar.

The duo found a mentor in Dr Simarpreet Sandhu, Chairperson of FICCI FLO, Amritsar, and Dr PK Pati, Head of the Department of Biotechnology at GNDU. Together, they have created a brand of incense sticks and cones, integrated waste management, entrepreneurship and community welfare into a single impactful project.

“We work with 70 women from Jethunangal village, who make these incense sticks and cones. We collect the floral waste from five temples across the city ourselves, grind them to make a fine powder, which is then mixed with a natural resin. This powder is then handed over in bulk to the women who make dough and roll out the sticks. Our current cost per stick is Rs 2.50 and we pay these women 80 paise/per stick,” shared Dr Mini about their operations. She further states how women from the local community are also now engaging proactively with them.

Dr Sandhu, who led the branding and packaging aspect of the product, shared that project ‘Pushpa Punya’ will now head towards Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre, an autonomous body of the Government of India’s Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises in Kannauj, where the product will be undergoing further research and development checks. “The product will undergo quality checks as they are biodegradable incense sticks and cones, reducing pollution and promoting reuse of natural resources. The underlying aim is to empower communities, providing training in skills and employment to rural women, enhancing their financial independence and contributing to community development. ‘Pushpa Punya’ is more than a solution to floral waste, it is a movement toward sustainable practices and community upliftment,” said Sandhu.