Radhesh Agrahari, the visionary behind Golden Feathers, has developed an innovative solution to a pressing environmental problem: chicken butchery waste. His startup converts chicken butchery waste, including feathers, into wool-like fiber and handmade paper, significantly mitigating river pollution.
Radhesh’s journey began at the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design in Jaipur, where a surprising turn of events led to his big idea. While studying there, he took a three-day job in Agra to support his education. He was supposed to attend a class on Monday in Jaipur where students had to pick different types of waste materials for research. Because of his job, he returned to Jaipur a day late. By then, his classmates had already chosen the interesting topics, which set the stage for his unique discovery and future business.
By the time he arrived, his classmates had already picked their research topics, such as plastic, sanitary napkins, and thermocol. With no options left, Radhesh was at a loss and was asked to leave the class. Feeling frustrated, he decided to cheer himself up with a chicken dish. At the butcher’s shop, he noticed he was charged for a kilogram of chicken, but the packet only weighed 650 grams. When he asked the butcher about it, he found out that the remaining 350 grams was considered waste. Curious, Radhesh asked for the waste to be packed separately.
The next day, he took the bag of chicken waste to his college, which made his classmates very uncomfortable. “When I opened the bag, the smell made some people feel sick. I was kicked out of the class again,” he laughs. Despite his classmates’ reactions, his teachers saw promise in his unusual choice and encouraged him to find solutions for chicken butchery waste. It took him almost 13 years to succeed in this field.
Over the years, Radhesh worked with different organizations like Tribes India while continuing his research. What started as a college project revealed a lack of information about chicken butchery waste, which isn’t discussed much compared to plastic waste. Radhesh wanted to bring attention to this issue.
Today, Radhesh is the founder of Golden Feathers, a company that turns chicken butchery waste into wool-like fiber and handmade paper. They make shawls, quilts, stoles, diaries, fish feed, and manure from this waste, helping to solve an important environmental problem.
Radhesh’s family in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, wanted him to become a doctor like them. However, his love for design and craftsmanship led him in a different direction. He studied textile design at the Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT) in Mohali and continued his education at the Indian Institute of Craft in Jaipur.
“At these schools, most students are from wealthy backgrounds and are eager to study design and fashion. My interests were different, and I often felt like I didn’t fit in,” he explains. Despite facing social challenges and the physical discomfort of handling chicken waste daily, Radhesh was determined to pursue his research.
Chicken butchery waste is a significant problem globally, particularly for river pollution. Although there’s limited data available, we estimate that about 32.17 percent of waste in rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna is from chicken butchery. According to a report by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), India ranks fifth in the world for broiler meat production, producing over 4.6 million metric tonnes annually. The report highlights the critical need for better management of poultry waste, which is often improperly disposed of, causing environmental harm.
In 2019, Radhesh founded Golden Feathers to address the issue of chicken butchery waste. They begin by collecting waste from slaughterhouses and sterilizing it with high-temperature steam to eliminate worms. Using a unique method involving natural ingredients, they transform this waste into a fiber similar to pashmina.
The startup utilizes chicken feathers, known for their lightness, to produce a natural fiber resembling cotton, jute, wool, or silk. Radhesh has trained 1,200 tribal women in Rajasthan to weave and spin this fiber. Feathers unsuitable for spinning are repurposed into handmade paper or used as stuffing in quilts, jackets, and pillows. This holistic approach ensures that even the leftover chicken waste is converted into valuable resources like compost and fish feed, minimising environmental impact.
Golden Feathers operates production facilities in Jaipur and Pune, focusing mainly on business-to-business (B2B) transactions, and earns an annual revenue of Rs 1.5 crore. The startup claims to have prevented 73 lakh kilograms of chicken butchery waste from harming the environment.
Radhesh’s innovative efforts have garnered him prestigious awards such as the German Design Award, Lexus Design Award, and Swachhata Startup Award. “Transitioning from a designer to an innovator has been deeply fulfilling. I’ve always aimed for impactful work and have been honoured with several awards and recognitions. While we currently operate on a modest scale, our goal is to expand our initiatives nationwide,” he explains.
Looking ahead, Radhesh stresses the importance of government backing to scale up their impact. “We need government support to establish a sustainable recycling model on a larger scale. This includes funding for training programs for women workers and implementing policies that ensure proper waste management,” he emphasizes.
