Innovation

After having spent 30 years of his life 'destroying forests' through his contracting business of buying back all the furniture from banks and other government agencies, dismantling it and selling it to be used as fuel or scrap. At the age of 60, Mr Shetty realised there must be a better use of the valuable timber rather than merely discarding it.

This brainwave resulted in the birth of Restorex. Based in Coimbatore, India, this transformation led to an innovative process of dismantling the plywood furniture in states across the country, transporting it to the base where it then gets refurbished into exquisite and unique furniture pieces sold at 50 % of the market cost.

With a desire to expand and payback to the very nature he destroyed, he decided to partner with like-minded individuals in places where his first Facebook campaign generated a huge buzz (more than 800 inquiries) - Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Haryana, and Varanasi. Every customer also received a personalized letter thanking them for not using new timber.

Instead of saving only a small extent of timber if continued from his hometown, Mr. Shetty decided to pass on the numerous inquiries to the individuals closest in proximity with the client. Restorex will assist them will all the requisite support such as draw up plans, prepare the quotation and provide technical support. In turn, the partners will pay a small amount per inquiry to Restorex. Through this smoothened process, a vast number of customers can be reached, which in turn will not only help them receive sturdy beautiful furniture at half the market price but also help conserve the remainder of the once dense forests. This noble but profitable cause, from a destructor to a passionate savior point, will help tackle climate change, benefit life on land and encourage sustainability through the little things of not mere discarding, but giving multiple lives through responsible consumption and production.

As Mr. Shetty puts forth succinctly,

“The process of making plywood is disastrous. It’s simple math. One table equals three plywood, three plywood equals 6 trees. I have been destroying century old trees on a massive scale, but it is never too late to have a real impact and restore what I once selfishly killed.”

Inspiration

Elephants! Owning an agricultural farmland with an abundance of coconut and alma trees would daily receive Mr. Shetty’s favorite unusual visitors. They were frequently joined by bison, deer and other wildlife. Wondering why these ‘invaders’ ate all their food and drank to their heart’s content from the water tank he constructed, Mr. Shetty pondered on who were the real ‘invaders’. The once dense forest where they roamed about freely was barren.

His neighbors depending solely on agricultural income constructed government approved electric fences around the property. The sight of elephants given an electric shock, being shot with pellets and even fire balls haunted him. Knowing that he played a role in destroying the forests, destroying his friends’ habitat, Mr. Shetty got the empathetic push he needed to start Restorex along with his wife’s help.

The humble and self-aware man that he is, Mr. Shetty stated,

“I have made mistakes and destroyed forests. But I am a small passionate man with big ideas to save what I once destructed.”

Overall impact

Mr. Shetty, the founder of Restorex, has been in the furniture business from 1987 for more than 30 years. He said, “We have been destroying wood from the 1980s, probably several square kilometers of timber and forest we have destroyed in our career. In a small business like mine, I must tell I destroyed several square kilometers per kilometers of forest. This realization came very recently….”

Standing on the threshold of his work-life, he realized that he has profusely taken from ‘Mother Nature’ without being concerned about the damage he has caused and the harm he has brought to the wildlife. Out of penitence, he has started Restorex with the objective of giving back to society and environment. He said, “I'll do only restoration- repairing and servicing business”.

Restorex is committed to saving forest and reviving wildlife, which in turn will enable them to retrieve and repay ‘Mother Nature’. Moreover, through their initiative, they are also making people aware about the destruction of wood caused in making one new furniture. By making people conscious about the damage that can be prevented by buying restored old furniture, they have instigated a movement toward making the world a sustainable place. They are committed to fight climate change and make the society sustainable through responsible consumption.

Business benefit

Restorex has been created to repay and compensate for the damage that has been incurred for years. Being in the furniture business for more than 30 years, the founder is repentant of the harm that the industry has brought upon nature. The realization has made him start Restorex, where they purchase old furniture from customers and transform them into a new one. The newly transformed furniture is sold at half of the price of a brand-new similar type of furniture. The business is profitable as it requires minimum investment. Besides, customers are also able to save money, as they can buy a renovated furniture at a much lower price. The business is not a zero-sum game; rather it is a win-win game for all stakeholders.

Presently, due to COVID19, the furniture business has been highly affected and is incurring huge loss. Mr. Shetty ‘s business has dropped from Rs. 10 crores to Rs. 1 crore per annum. However, people’s response to use of restored furniture has been positive mainly because of its low cost. Through Facebook campaign, he has been able to raise awareness among people, which enable him to partner with others from different cities such as Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Haryana, and Varanasi. With the objective of saving forests, Mr. Shetty has initiated a new market of restored furniture wherein the required investment is very less. By partnering with others in different cities, Restorex has been able to reach a vast number of customers, which in turn has propagated the venture and opened a parallel market of restored furniture.

Social and environmental benefit

Sustainability is the core objective of Restorex, as it is aiming to restore forest and save wild life through reduction of cutting trees by promoting the use of restored furniture. They are also involved in campaigning on social media, like Facebook campaign through which they have been trying to raise awareness among people to use restored furniture. They have also joined hands with other people across the states to spread the initiative. Mr. Shetty’s vision is to expand the business all over India, as it will enable saving of crores of trees, which in turn will help to combat climate change. Along with combating climate change, it also ensures responsible consumption and production through restoration and reuse of old furniture. The founder, Mr. Shetty, also offers a letter of thanks to customers who willingly purchase the restored furniture, as they are encouraging the initiative by promoting non-use of new timber. Thus, Restorex is serving society and environment by raising awareness of using the new transformed furniture as well as saving forests and wild life. Therefore, the business of restoring old furniture is able to make the world sustainable by combating climate change, ensuring responsible consumption and production, and developing sustainable cities and communities through the small innovation that they have been able to come up with.

Interview

Madhu Shetty, Founder / Proprietor