FAQ

General Questions

What is the difference between Recycling and Upcycling?

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the properties it had in its virgin or original state. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution (from incineration), and water pollution (from landfilling). 

 Reference from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling  

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater value, such as artistic value or environmental value.

How does reCharkha EcoSocial sell its UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products to conscious consumers?

reCharkha EcoSocial sells its products via 5 different shopping channels:

1.  On our online shop www.recharkha.org

2. At our offices in Pune (Head Office, India) and Mumbai (India). Click here for our Store addresses. 

3. We also sell directly through exhibitions in India and abroad. You can find our upcoming events on www.recharkha.org

4. We also export our UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products through Export partners in the USA, the UK, Singapore, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Costa Rica and some other countries.

5. We customize our UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products for Corporate or Bulk Personal Gifting. Our Esteemed Corporate Clients are Taj Hotels, Shell Oil, Marico Foundation, Vilas Javdekar Developers, PearlContractorDesigns, HomeMattersIndia and many more.

Can we donate waste plastic to reCharkha EcoSocial for Upcycling?

Yes! You can! We accept 4 types of waste plastic such as:

·         Poly carry bags

·         Multi-layered packaging like food wrappers, detergent packets and more

·         Glittery Gift Wrappers

·         Old Audio/Video Cassette Tapes

Please make sure that they are CLEAN and NO waste particle lingering inside the bags.

Carefully cut; straight cut at the bottom or at the top and open the gift wrappers. Watch the below video for better understanding… For more waste plastic donation details, click here

What type of waste plastic reCharkha EcoSocial does NOT accept?

We do not accept the following types of waste:

• Oil Packets  

• Milk Packets

• Pet Bottles  

• Tetra Packs  

• Small Sachets like shampoo, ketchup, hard plastic , small chocolate wrappers etc.  

• Straws  

Where can we donate waste plastic to reCharkha EcoSocial?

You can drop off the waste plastic at our Mumbai and Pune locations. 

Conscious citizens who do not live in Mumbai and Pune can courier or post the waste plastic to our Pune Store Location

NOTE: DO NOT SHIP THE WASTE PLASTIC TO OUR MUMBAI STORE LOCATION. IT IS ONLY DROP OFF LOCATION. 

 

Can we order reCharkha EcoSocial's UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products in bulk for personal or Corporate Gifting? Is there any discount given on such orders?

Yes, you can order in bulk for personal as well as Corporate Gifting. We can offer special price and also customize the product , depending on feasibility and upon the order size. 

For more information, Visit here or please write to info@recharkha.org

Please note: Same color in bulk is not possible as our raw material is waste plastic.

Can we customize UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN product?

Yes, you may. But we only accept customization in bulk order. For more information, please contact us at info@recharkha.org

Can I also join reCharkha EcoSocial?

Yes! You can!

We, at reCharkha EcoSocial are always looking for passionate people to join our Green Team!  

For Vounteering opportunities Visit Be our EcoSocial Buddy Page

To Join our EcoSocial Tribe, check our Careers tab for our current Job Opportunities.

 

Ordering and Payment

How can I place an order of reCharkha EcoSocial's UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN product(s)?

You can order easily using our online platform. Click on www.recharkha.org and go to the menu “Shop Online”. Browse through our categories and products. When you find a product you need, you can click on “Add to Cart” button. You can repeat this to add other products you require to the “Cart” and click on the “Checkout” button. Then you go through the ordering process with great ease. After your order is placed, we will send an email to you, with your Order Summary. If you create an account, your Order Summary will be saved in it. 

Alternatively, you can WA us @9529970579 / 8275175567 with your choice of our Upcycled Handwoven Products and we will create an order on your behalf.

If you live in Pune, Maharashtra, India or visting Pune, click here for Pune Store Location.  

If you live in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India or visting Mumbai, click here for Mumbai Store Location. 

You can check our Events calendar for our upcoming events and Exhibitions in your City .

What payment methods can I use to place an online order?

We accept the following payment methods on our website:  

1) All the major Credit/Debit cards and Netbanking /Gpay/UPI/Direct BankTransfer are accepted, through Razor Pay's/ Stripe payment gateway .

2) For international bulk customers, we suggest you to pay by Transferwise/PayPal. Please connect with our team for this option.  

For any further queries contact @9529970579 / 8275175567

What should I do if the payment is not accepted while placing an order?

Please try again in a little while. If the payment is still not accepted, please verify your account balance, whether the payment is debited or not. 

If everything is as it should, but you still can't make the payment, please contact us at 9529970579 / 8275175567 to notify us about the problem. We will manage the order manually for you. 

How can I change the delivery address after placing an order on the website?

Please contact @9529970579 / 8275175567 to notify us. We will change the delivery address of the order manually.

What are the delivery charges for my order?

Delivery charges are dependent on the shipment requirements. We have a flat rate on products. You can see the shipping fees on the checkout process before the payment is made.

What kind of packaging will be used to courier my order?

Our packaging is plastic free. We use the waste fabric pieces of the lining cloth as our packing material. The details of the shipment are handwritten by marker and it is shipped via reliable courier company.  

Can I cancel my order?

You cannot cancel the order online. 

If we have not shipped the order already, our team will help you select an alternate items as per your choice and update the  order. 

If we have already shipped the order, you can return the items to our Office Address, ONLY if they are unused and sent it in the exact condition they were delivered to youWe will then issue you a Voucher, in exchange, which you can use at later date till the validity of the voucher. 

Do contact us @8529970579/8275175567 for any further queries.

Do I have to order online only?

We have following ways for your to order your favourite Upcycled Handwoven Products:

1. Visit our Store in Pune. 

2. Call Us @8529970579/8275175567 to create an order on your behalf. 

3. Online Store - Online ordering is preferred in most cases because by ordering online, you will save time, you will have an easier payment process and all the information about the order will be accessible for you anytime.

Can I return reCharkha EcoSocial’s UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN product(s) after I have received the order?

Yes, you can return the order (Check the Refund Policy). Alternatively, we will issue a Voucher of the same amount which you can use towards buying any product online.  

Do contact us @8529970579/8275175567 for any further queries.

How to create an account on reCharkha EcoSocial’s website?

Go to www.recharkha.org and observe the icon on the top right corner of the page. Click “Create a new account”, then just fill in all the needed information and click “Create”. After submitting the form, your account will be confirmed and you will be notified.

Can I retrieve my forgotten password on reCharkha EcoSocial’s website?

You can retrieve your password by clicking “Forgot password?” Instruction on password retrieval will be sent to your email.

How do I change my personal details or email address on my reCharkha EcoSocial’s account?

You can easily change all your information on your account.  Go to the www.recharkha.org and log in, then click “My account” and “Edit”. Here you can change all your contact information.

Are my details safe? How secure is reCharkha EcoSocial’s website?

Our web store is secured with an SSL certificate. This means the information you input is encrypted and it will not be available for third parties.

Why are your products expensive?

reCharkha products are Upcycled and Handwoven using Waste Plastic Bags and Wrappers. We also source raw material like Hilton, flex, sponge etc. Sourcing and incorporating it in the product is a very time consuming process. The whole process of Upcycling is manual which includes manual cutting, making thread using Charkha, handweaving fabric using Handloom and stitching the fabric into product. This manual proccess requires 1 to 1.5 labor days to create one product. We ensure that our artisans get well paid. No electric machinery is used apart from Sewing machine.

So we request you to not compare our products with machine-made products. 

Delivery

Do you ship reCharkha EcoSocial’s UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products worldwide?

Yes, we do ship our products worldwide. We also have partners in the USA, the UK, Dubai, Australia, France and Canada.

Can I track my order online?

Yes, you can track your order. We will send you the tracking details of the shipment when the parcel has been couriered.

What will be the Dispatch and Delivery time of the courier?

Dispatch and Shipping time is 1-2 days.

Delivery time is 6-7 days. 

What will be the Shipping cost of the courier?

Shipping costs are dependent on your location and products on your order. Our online store shows the shipping fee and shipping cost is automatically added during the checkout process.

Can I change my shipping address in my reCharkha EcoSocial account?

You can easily change your shipping address on your account. You just need to login and click “my account” and “edit”.  You can also change the shipping address during the checkout process if you need. Just click “edit” below “shipping address”.

Coupons and Cashbacks

How do I apply a coupon on my order?

You can apply a coupon on the cart page before order placement. The complete list of your unused and valid coupons will be available under “My Coupons” tab of Website/M-site.

Exchange Policy and Aftercare

What is reCharkha EcoSocial's Exchange Policy? How does it work?

reCharkha EcoSocial's exchange policy gives you an option to exchange items purchased for any reason within the specified exchange period (7 days from the date of the delivery). We only ask that you don't use the product and preserve its original condition, tags, and packaging. You are welcome to try on a product but please take adequate measure to preserve its condition.

You can send the product(s) to us by couriering it to our Pune office address, as provided on the Website.

If you do not wish to exchange the products, alternatively we will issue you a voucher of same amount and then you can use it towards your shopping on our online store.

How do I care for my reCharkha EcoSocial’s UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products?

reCharkha EcoSocial makes each and every product with love and care for you, our conscious customer.

Following are the care instructions

  •         NO WASH. 
  •         Some of our products have been combined with natural dyed fabric, sourced from our partner artisans.
  •         Natural dye bleeds its color, hence best is to wash our products separately from other clothes/bags. 
  •         Do not wash them in the washing machine
  •         Do not wring the product
  •         Do not use bleach
  •         Do not iron
  •         Do not store/keep/dry in direct/harsh sunlight
  •         Keep away from extreme heat like dryers, blowers, heaters, Irons etc

Can I get my reCharkha EcoSocial’s UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN product repaired?

Closing the Loop is very important to reCharkha EcoSocial.

We strongly believe in "Repair" and have added it to our 5 R's framework, namely REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR and RECYCLE or UPCYCLE! Come to our workshop in Pune or courier us your old products from Aarohana or reCharkha, and we will repair it for FREE! So that you can use our UPCYCLED-HANDWOVEN products for as many years to come without having to throw them away. Also, if the product reaches the end of its life, then send it back to us, so that we will upcycle it further or dispose it off safely!

More Questions

Does reCharkha EcoSocial sell its products on any other platforms than your website?

Yes We have our products listed on Stonesoup.in and GoodByNature but the products there are very limited. 

To view a complete range of our products visit our site www.recharkha.org

 

Does reCharkha EcoSocial have stores in India?

We have stores in Pune and Mumbai Locations in Maharashtra India.

Here are the addresses of both the locations: https://www.recharkha.org/pages/contact-us

 

Can reCharkha EcoSocial help other Team who too are working in the field of livelihood in their city and want to apply start same process of plastic upcycling?

At present we are a small team want to expand our work. We do not have the resources to train/help other team in this regard. But we would like to know your interest, so please share your thoughts on our email : info@recharkha.org

When is reCharkha EcoSocial coming to my city?

Please do check our Events page on www.recharkha.org