Who are we ?
Carmel Agency is a communication company based in Benin, founded by Beninese who offer multimedia communication services since its creation in 2017. From 2018 it specialized in the production and sale of biodegradable packaging made of known paper under the brand name "Organic Packaging"
From problem to solution
The plastic bags are toxic in nature and constitute a real danger for the environment and humanity. In Benin, 1,000,000 plastic bags are consumed per day and thrown in the wild. Like many other countries and in accordance with the need to protect the environment which has become a global objective, the Beninese state has taken legal measures which formally prohibit the use, sale and production of plastic bags. This beneficial standard will aim to significantly reduce the high consumption rate of plastic bags.
This decision, which the population did not approve of at the time due to ignorance, enabled us to note a real absence of biodegradable packaging and to envisage production to replace plastic bags.
Emballages bio, the solution to fight of plastic bags in Benin
This is how we decided to put biodegradable packaging made of paper (Bags and cartons) with the possibility of personalizing, available to the population and especially businesses and individuals such as sales shops, restaurants, pastries, ready to wear, producer and promoter of local products, cosmetics, clothing or food. These packaging are produced locally and by hand from biodegradable materials (paper or cardboard).
Usefulness and efficiency
They are useful for packaging or transporting light packages such as food, necklaces, bags, loincloths, clothes, shoes, food products, cosmetic products, etc. They are beautiful and elegant packaging that can be personalized for serve as an advertising channel for businesses. They contribute to the protection of health and the environment because it better protects and degrades food and its compositions less.
Lifespan in nature
They degrade faster than plastic bags in nature and can be easily recycled.
What we offer
Shopping bags (with or without sleeves), personalized bags with sleeves for companies and individuals, cardboard packaging, sandwich and pastry packaging.
The road traveled since 2018
At the start of this entrepreneurial adventure, we won around 20 clients, and today we are over 100 regular clients from the Ivory Coast, Benin and Gabon. This means that the population is gradually starting to realize the usefulness and effectiveness of Organic Packaging.
Our achievements
In 2018 we produced around 3000 bags and 10,000 in 2019, here are some examples:
This enabled us to make a profit of around one (01) million FCFA at the end of 2019. This sum added to the funding received in the same year from the Tony Elumelu foundation (5000 dollars) was used to install the new headquarters of the 'company and acquire some production materials and office furniture after our incubation of three (03) in Sèmé City (government agency).
Perpectives
We are therefore in the market penetration phase and we plan to move to the growth stage by intensifying our production to increase our clientele and expand usage on the Beninese market (main target) and internationally. This year we plan to strengthen our team by recruiting staff for the administrative management of the company. And we plan to sell 50,000 to 100,000 packages before the end of the year.
Vision and Objective
We dream of a Benin without plastic bags by 2025 and our vision is to make this dream a reality while becoming one of the first Beninese industries to produce biodegradable packaging.
Our goal is to limit the use of plastic bags whose ban has not yet had an effect on the Beninese population by promoting "Organic Packaging" on the Beninese market and internationally.
Difficulties and challenges
- Currently our production is 80% manual, which prevents us from regularly meeting our customer deadlines. This can in the long run contribute to the discouragement of customers who have started to develop loyalty to Organic Packaging.
- Our production is purely local and currently costs more than imported packaging and plastic bags. Which is not accessible to all customers despite their willingness to abandon plastic bags.
So we have 2 challenges: to offer our organic packaging at a low cost and in a very short time in order to arouse interest in organic and divert attention from plastic bags.
Campaign objective
Faced with these difficulties and challenges, we felt the need to launch this crowdfunding campaign on FIATOPE to mobilize 10,000 to 25,000 euros. This sum will allow us to industrialize our production by producing 500 times more than the current production capacity and to meet the need for biodegradable packaging made of paper on the market.
With 10,000 euros,
we can already buy the paper cutter and the square bottom bag production machine.
The paper cutter is used to cut paper purchased in large format in a small format. It cuts faster than the cutter and more than 500 leaves in 1 minute. It costs 1527 euros including transport and customs costs. https://m.french.alibaba.com/p-detail/720-guillotine-60754964489.html?spm=a2706.amp_mult_detail.item_details#show_specifications
! Image title This machine processes paper in record time. In 1 minute we can produce more than 100 to 200 bags. It costs around 7634 euros including customs and transport costs. https://m.french.alibaba.com/p-detail/Machine-%25C3%25A0-sacs-en-papier-%25C3%25A0-60093446365.html?spm=a2706.7835515.0.0.4c6541d8KU97n6&__detailProductImg=https: /sc02.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1df0Uf.R1BeNjy0Fmq6z0wVXae.jpg_300x300xz.jpg
If we mobilize 15,000 euros,
we will be able to buy the folding machine and take a larger and well-equipped production room to contain all the machines.
We will be happy to reach 25,000 euros,
as this is our greatest wish in order to acquire all the remaining equipment namely; the laminating machine, the cutting cylinder and the large format printing machine.
If the 1st objective of 10,000 euros is not reached, all contributions will be reimbursed and the project will receive no funding.
Why contribute?
Your participation in this campaign will be
-A contribution to the common building of environmental protection for which we are all responsible.
-The fulfillment of a dream that will not perish for lack of means.
-A way of believing in youth by giving them the means to positively impact the world.
-Give hope and wings to fly to a young dynamic company, by offering it financial autonomy.
-Encourage and promote local production.
-Participate in the production of more than 1,000,000 biodegradable packaging per month which will reduce the consumption of plastic bags by 30 to 50% in Benin.
-Contribute to the creation of wealth and employment in Benin.
Carmel Agency team
Carmel Agency Sarl RCCM RB COT 17 B 19495 IFU 3201710067536 created in July 2017 by Phinolle AHOUNOU and AHOUEKOUN Abraham with 3 employees.
Together, let's protect the environment!
Go back up and click on "contribute" then let yourself be guided to deposit your contribution
You can pay by credit card and MTN Mobile Money directly on Fiatope.
You can also send your contribution by Mobile Money to the number +229 96454584 or hand it over after which a certificate of delivery receipt will be sent to you and your contribution will be inserted on Fiatope for more transparency
