The Ganges, India’s largest and most vital fresh water resource, is now one of the world’s most polluted rivers. In addition to sewage water flowing in from households and industries, many people throw solid waste directly into the river—including more than 8 million tons of fresh flowers pilgrims offer in reverential prayers each year.

In 2015, Ankit Agarwal and Karan Rastogi, childhood friends who grew up in the city of Kanpur on the banks of the Ganges, cofounded HelpUsGreen, a social enterprise that aims to reduce pollution in the river.  The enterprise seeks to deliver triple-bottom-line benefits (people, planet, and prosperity) by employing women from the lower social and economic strata. Together, these women collect 1.5 tons of flowers daily from more than 30 temples and mosques.

HelpUsGreen is an example of a social enterprise that is enabling the “circular economy”—an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. The circular economy aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, while addressing deep-rooted economic, environmental, and social challenges via innovative processes and community engagement.

With this in mind, we propose a new paradigm called “circular social innovation” (CSI). CSI seeks to enable sustainable development through the societal adoption of innovative, regenerative activities and services, where the primary goal is broader social and environmental wellbeing rather than individual or company profits.

Read the full article about social enterprises by Ashok Prasad & Mathew J. Manimala at The Stanford Social Innovation Review.