Esscent by Arpan | Premium flower-based Incense Sticks and Cones
Esscent
Esscent by Arpan is a social entrepreneurship venture by the students of Connecting Dreams Foundation- SRCC Chapter to up-cycle dried flower waste into premium flower-based incense products, like sticks, cones, and candles. The social entrepreneurship model ensures that a major chunk of their revenue goes towards women entrepreneurs and specially-abled workers.
The Problem: Flower Waste
Our country’s devotion and faith have been associated with religious traditions. Since the time humans first started praying to the almighty, it has been customary to offer flowers, garlands, coconut, milk to the deities in the temples, churches, gurudwara, and mosques as a symbol of devotion and reverence.
Owing to this belief, about 80 lakh metric tonnes of flower waste is disposed of in the river Ganga each year. While they create picturesque scenery at that moment, they eventually turn into colossal waste and kill fishes and other living beings.
The flower waste creates chaos in the fragile environment and also causes enormous water pollution.
The Team
The students of Connecting Dreams Foundation- SRCC Chapter, have devised an evergreen solution to this problem. Their brand, Esscent by Arpan, is a line of premium flower-based incense products, like sticks, cones, and candles, that are made from dried flower waste and are 100% charcoal-free.
Esscent by Arpan is a social entrepreneurship model in which a major chunk of their revenue goes towards women entrepreneurs and specially-abled workers. The remaining part is re-invested in business for its expansion and research purposes.
After extensive research, the team discovered that the problem of floral waste can be solved by substituting it in place of charcoal in incense products. To validate this they conducted a research test in the Patel Chest University.
The products are handmade and hand-poured by rural women and specially-abled workers with love and care. Their packaging is completely eco-friendly (100 % plastic-free).
Most of the industries follow an exploitative policy which often puts a burden on the working community. They are not much concerned about the standard of living of the workers and make them work relentlessly for low pay.
Esscent aims to employ these people and transform them into entrepreneurs. It will help them to be independent and their standard of living will improve. This adds to the employment level in the economy and the income thereof.
However, Esscent upholding the virtue of compassion ensures local community connects by empowering and making them self-reliant. These women are given the required training and the profits generated are distributed amongst them. Through the project, these young change-makers aim to make the unemployed and underprivileged women financially self sufficient and independent.
The Products:
They have created an organic product that is made up of 60% flowers and is 100% charcoal free keeping in mind the ill effects of carbon smoke on human health. These luxury incense sticks are available in 6 divine fragrances- Lavender, Rose, Lemongrass, Loban, Lily, and Jasmine and come in a box of 40 sticks and a holder. Esscent incense sticks come in a three-layered eco-friendly packaging with zero plastic usage
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Loban (Pack of 3)
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Jasmine (Pack of 3)
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Rose (Pack of 3)
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Lavender (Pack of 3)
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Lemongrass (Pack of 3)
Esscent Premium Flower Based Incense Sticks – Lily (Pack of 3)
They have created an organic product that is made up of 60% flowers and is 100% charcoal free keeping in mind the ill effects of carbon smoke on human health. These fragrances are known to reduce anger, promote sleep and instil a feeling of peace, happiness, and confidence.
Apart from Incense Sticks, their are also Incense Cones. The cones come in 3 fragrances- Citronella, Tea Tree, and Patchouli, and there are 30 cones in each box along with a holder. These are soothing and peace-inducing fragrances that heal our minds and body. We have also introduced a premium range of beeswax candles in 2 fragrances namely Rose & Amber and Sage & Petrichor.
The Journey
Customers will be benefitted from the extraordinary and improved quality of the product with attractive packaging and a wide variety of products. To reach out to the maximum number of people and to increase our social impact we have diversified into several avenues.
Esscent by Arpan is currently operational in 30+ online stores (like Amazon, BrownLiving, BubbleFarm, PropShop, etc.) and have ventured into avenues like corporate gifting, retail outlets (Purple Turtles, Organic World, Goli Soda, etc.).
The impact created by Esscent is hence, multi-faceted. The project is sustainable, replicable, and scalable and thus its objective is to impact the lives of both the producers and consumers. By using these flower waste as the main component of the product, Esscent aims at revolutionizing this practice and thereby protecting the river bodies from the detrimental problem of water pollution aiming for sustainable development.
All in all, Esscent is a divine offering to Nature accomplishing the 3 P’s of Empowering people | Conserving the planet | Promising purity.