A world of value built on uplifting people
and preserving natural resources.

History

In 1997, we set out on a mission to support sustainable development in India. Initially, we lobbied for better energy efficiency; after successful policy interventions, we expanded our efforts into waste management. At the time, urban landfills were overflowing with waste. Along nearby slums, unorganized groups of people were risking their lives scrounging through dirty and diseased trash for items to recycle. Despite these hazardous recycling efforts, a notable category remained overwhelming the landfills: the common plastic bag. The conditions of the people in the slums coupled with the environmental hazard the plastic bags posed inspired us to create an income-generation project for the waste pickers. After two years of research and development, in 2008 we successfully patented a leather-like material made from single-use plastic bags.

Today, we continue to create safe and sustainable opportunities. We educate communities on using waste as a resource to create value. And with the use of this easily-replicable, low-cost technology, we train individuals to produce a range of high value products. In doing so, we bring even higher value to both our people and our planet.

Mission

We work towards environmental conservation,
while simultaneously creating socially-uplifting conditions
by empowering underprivileged individuals with employable opportunities.

Our Core Values

Partners

Ashoka
Baazi Games
Catalyst 2030
ftfi
HDFC Parivartan
Made 51
Nest
Nexus
Uncharted
UNHCR
World Trade Fair Organization

“A circular economy is a systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. In contrast to the ‘take-make-waste’ linear model, a circular economy is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources.”

– Ellen McArthur Foundation

The circular economy model encapsulates not only what we believe in, but it also guides all that we do. At Conserve, our work is rooted in a deep respect for the Earth’s resources, built on a closed-loop system that ensures regenerative environmental solutions, focusing on the textiles and plastics supply chains.

For over two decades, Conserve has remained deeply entrenched in protecting and conserving the environment. We believe that in order for our world to thrive, we must prioritize our planet. We nourish our planet’s biodiversity, adapt to its changing needs, and combat the pollution of our natural resources and the destruction of our habitat through our commitment to energy efficiency, waste management, and clean rivers programs. But we know that saving our planet is a collective task, which is why at Conserve, we drive education programs in schools to raise consciousness and invest in solutions to protect the Earth together.

“Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.”

— WFTO, Fairtrade International and European Fair Trade Association

At Conserve, Fair Trade is in our moral fibre. We believe it’s far more than just trading: it’s a vision that puts people and the planet before profit. Built on an equitable economic model, Fair Trade enables us to fight poverty, climate change, gender inequality and injustice, and in doing so, turn our ethical values into a sustainable reality.

Gender inequality remains incredibly prevalent in India; between women’s limited access to education, domestic abuse, and health hazards, the social and environmental implications are innumerable. At Conserve, we champion women as active agents of change and provide them with safe, rewarding employment opportunities. Over the last two decades, we have seen the direct and positive effects of empowering women — within their own homes and, more systemically, throughout India.

Social upliftment is at the heart of Fair Trade and is woven into the fabric of Conserve. We work to bolster disenfranchised communities, contribute to equitable health and education infrastructures in India, eliminate exploitation of humans, and ensure lives of dignity.