Universal Eco Bags

Universal Eco Bags was started in 1986. The proprietor is Mr. K J Thomas. At first ‘Universal Eco Bags’ was involved in the selling of paper bags and notebooks. But two years before, things took a new turn. Thomas developed a paper bag making machine through which bags could be manufactured in a cheaper and cost-effective way.

The earlier method was tedious and time-consuming. He used to use a box-like mold to create creasing on paper, which was then manually folded to make bags. Apart from being a slow process, producing bags of different sizes was also not possible. Mr. Thomas tried another machine, the HD punching machine, which could do the work faster but still the problem of manufacturing different sizes of bags persisted.

 He had sourced only the most environmentally and socially responsible goods available. They ensure that all of their products are Fair Wage and offer a variety of eco-friendly material options for the customers to choose from.

Product- Bagmaster

This resulted in the innovation of Bagmaster. It was introduced by the proprietor itself. It is used for producing paper carry bags.

The Advantages are easy to use, easy installation and nominal price. This innovation runs on motor. The machine has a wooden platform with an iron ring in between as a partition. The paper is put in from one side, to be passed under six iron wheels that create the creasing. The creased paper is collected from the other side. It has a foot-operated accelerator through which the speed of the iron wheels can be controlled. The harder you press the accelerator, the faster the wheels will move. Mr. Thomas claims that one can make up to 1,000 bags per hour with the machine. But, of course, one has to have a full team of workers cutting and folding the bags to achieve that figure. The problem of different sizes is solved with the inclusion of six wheels that are spread on a distance that can crease 42 inches of paper at a time.

He now runs a factory in Kerala. Mr.Thomas has the capacity to manufacture one machine a day, which he sells at a 20% profit margin. The easy-to-operate and easy-to-install features of the machine are its biggest draw. There are no technical skills required to operate it. Moreover, it is priced nominally at Rs 40,000, weighing just 85 kg, a great deal less than the HD punching machine that costs Rs 1.5 lakh. The machine can produce bags of different sizes. “I can guarantee that no other machine can crease 42 inches of paper at a time, except for my Bagmaster,” Thomas says.

This product is better for self-employment opportunities. He believes that old age groups, housewives and the physically challenged can use this machine to earn some money.

Thomas is looking forward to exporting paper bags in the Western markets as he believes the demand for such bags is high. He is also planning to introduce a ‘buyback policy’, under which he will buy finished paper bags from the people he is selling the machine to.