Hello,

I admit it. I love shopping. I like being on-trend, updating my closet with every fashion week, and redecorating my house to fit what mood I’m in and what season. Growing up in Sri Lanka, I didn’t have the means to buy what I pleased. So when I was older and had the disposable income to spend on what I wanted, I was delighted.

But I also love our planet. Knowing my shopping habit was quietly yet quickly driving this beautiful planet to its demise left me in what could be described as an all-encompassing sadness. First, I was unhappy with myself for wanting what every human inherently craved – a sense of control, belonging, accomplishment, and ownership. All of which came from shopping.

Then I was unhappy with the world. I was unhappy with the system. The system was designed to spout things out, use, and discard. Everybody seemed to have failed us – large brands, small brands, mega-malls, and niche boutiques alike.

I wanted a solution in which I control the system as a consumer, and I dictate what happens to my products at the end (no landfills, incinerators, or mass pollution), and enjoy the satisfaction of shopping with my hard-earned money without destroying the planet.

I could not find such a solution. So I started Kola Project. Kola Project allows consumers to control the narrative. Not brands, businesses, or corporations as they have done for the last hundred years. I genuinely believe that if we could factor consumers into the system substantially, solving the waste crisis is not possible. It’s definite.

Maneesha