August 20, 2020

Why Should You Be Ditching the Cotton Face Mask Trend

As you step out of your house, donning a cotton face mask, a child somewhere in East Asia is forced to work on the farms in horrific conditions.

Confused?

To make sure you have a stylish cotton face mask to keep you safe from the deadly virus, labor, including children, are forced to work in unimaginably bad conditions.

You are not the only one to blame. It has been happening for a long.

Really, really long.

But, every face mask made of cotton adds to that exploitation.

And it is not just forced or child labor, cotton comes with many other problems too.

You might never actually witness the havoc that cotton production creates. But cotton farmers and Mother Nature suffer in silence.

Cotton is a natural fiber. And yet, it is harmful to the environment, the farmers, and YOU.

Yes, it is harmful to you too.

Here’s how …Read More

Vishal Vivek is the Founder and CEO of Ukhi, a pioneering bio-materials company dedicated to ending plastic pollution by converting agricultural waste into high-performance compostable polymers. With a background in sustainable entrepreneurship and over a decade of technology experience, he leads Ukhi’s vision to create scalable, planet-positive material solutions. Previously, Vishal founded the Hemp Foundation, where he empowered more than 1,000 farmers and advanced sustainable livelihood initiatives. His work has been recognized through awards such as the HDFC Parivartan Grant and featured in leading publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Times Group recognized him as a legendary entrepreneur and published his biography in “I Did IT- Vol 2” alongside social pioneers like Bindeshwar Pathak (Sulabh International) and Anshu Gupta (Goonj). Vishal has authored more than 200 articles on sustainability and hemp, reflecting his deep expertise and advocacy for regenerative solutions. His commitment to grassroots impact led him to live in the remote mountains of Uttarakhand, where he immersed himself in the lives of marginal farmers, understanding their challenges and co-creating economic opportunities through hemp-based initiatives. A deeply passionate innovator, Vishal often draws inspiration from seemingly impossible achievements: “If Elon Musk can make rockets reusable, or Dashrath Manjhi can carve a path through a mountain with rudimentary tools, why can’t we eliminate the demon of single-use plastic while uplifting struggling farmers? We will make it happen—whatever it takes.” Ukhi is proud to be supported by premier institutions including IIT Guwahati, NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business (Hyderabad), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR Pusa), and the Indian Institute of Packaging. Vishal is committed to demonstrating that business can be a powerful catalyst for global environmental and social good. Connect with Vishal Vivek