Making A Difference Leaf By Leaf

Swaviman Acharya is the Co-founder and CEO of Leaf Plus, an organisation committed to creating environmentally friendly products and empowering local resources to strengthen the economy through exports.

Acharya, along with Bidhan Pokhrel and Kobit Singh Baniya, co-founded Leaf Plus in 2017. Their journey began from a mo:mo shop. “We were on the serving committee of the Golden Gate College Alumni Association. One day, while having mo:mo on tapari (sal leaf plate), my hand got burned by the heat. We started discussing on how we could improve the quality of taparis, and eventually, we ended up manufacturing disposable plates, bowls, and spoons from areca palm leaves,” recalls Acharya.

Leaf Plus’s products are unique in that they are 100% organic, biodegradable within three months, microwave and refrigerator friendly, liquid safe, and leak-proof. These products are made from naturally fallen areca palm leaves without harming the plant. The company aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13: Climate Action. Additionally, they are the first to produce these products on a commercial scale and export them. Both their products and processes are different from those existing in the market. “If we talk about our products, they are the best alternatives to plastic plates in terms of decomposition and availability of raw materials. Leaf Plus products reduce carbon footprint and keep the environment clean,” states Acharya. 

The mission of Leaf Plus is to bring about socio-economic transformation through both products and processes. Their ecosystem involves the participation of farmers, communities, and local people, making Leaf Plus a collective enterprise. They believe in the theme ‘Enterprise Creating Entrepreneurs’, focusing on creating and empowering entrepreneurs in leaf collection by supporting small-scale production. “Our production chain starts with our farmers. Farmers and marginalised people earn by collecting and selling leaves to us. Most of our human resources in production are women, whom we provide with decent salaries. Our ecosystem offers economic opportunities for leaf collectors and employment for local women, making them financially independent,” says Acharya, adding, “This has significantly changed their lives. Women have now become financially independent and are able to meet basic household expenses as well as help their kids get better education.”

Acharya acknowledges that their entrepreneurial journey has not been easy. “Challenges are always there, whether at the start or now. Initially, people were reluctant to collect leaves and didn’t trust us. Convincing them of the importance of these leaves was a major challenge,” he shares. He further mentions that since none of the partners had a business background, their entrepreneurial journey involved learning by doing. Acharya shares that they also faced legal hassles in importing machines and had to shift their production from Hetauda to Jhapa due to logistics costs. “We also struggled with investment shortages. The first two years were a complete learning phase, and then the Covid outbreak hampered our expansion for two years. In November 2022, a fire completely burnt down our factory, compelling us to start all over again,” shares Acharya.

Though the factory had completely burnt down, Acharya says their fiery passion and dedication did not die out. “During our initial setup, my partner Baniya was working with the machines and he nearly lost a finger. This incident always reminds us that Leaf Plus was built with great effort: blood, sweat and tears. This motivates us not to give up,” he reflects. 

The partners restarted the business after collecting funds from friends and families. “We also started a new factory after that unfortunate incident. Since then, we have been gradually growing and simultaneously learning. And to ease the reluctance of the farmers we provided financial support to individuals in constructing leaf collection centres. This made the farmers realise the value of leaves,” mentions Acharya.

“Today we feel proud that we have created a company and helped the nation by creating a few employment opportunities and earning foreign currency through our exports. It may be on a very small scale but through our persistent efforts we aim to benefit the nation positively,” says Acharya. He adds that if the number of such enterprises continues to grow, it will definitely help the country to be economically stronger. “However, for this we require the government’s assistance as well. In 2021, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies recognised us with the Innovative Industry Award. However, besides that we have had no additional support from the government till date,” he states, adding, “The government could help us grow with positive policy changes and support, such as subsidised loans, quality standard formulation, tax benefits, and international promotion through fairs,” expresses Acharya. 

Currently, Leaf Plus is focused on expanding its business. “We have a proven track record of domestic and export demand, and we want to grow our manufacturing and organisational capacity. We are seeking investment to expand our production capacity. We believe we now have enough experience to significantly upscale our business,” concludes Acharya.

We have a proven track record of domestic and export demand, and we want to grow our manufacturing and organisational capacity. We are seeking investment to expand our production capacity. We believe we now have enough experience to significantly upscale our business,