Waste such as plastic, foil and paper have become the bane of growing cities. But there have been encouraging examples of waste being recycled to make new products.
In Coimbatore, 23-year-old Suren Vikhash U, who just passed out of college has come up with a technique where waste is converted into utility items. Suren has made biodegradable bags, mobile pouches, laptop and CD covers, pens from waste and these products have caught the imagination of environment conscious.
It all began when he saw how huge quantities of waste was generated but not recycled. He says, “I started working on a recycling project for nearly a year and came up with a product design. The bags, wallets, covers, files, folders have made it into the market and people have shown interest in such products.” Suren’s company Thunk In India, an extension of his college project, has designed the products which have lasting value and life in spite of being produced from waste. The young entrepreneur has also helped generate employment for many.
Rag-pickers form part of his team collecting waste from different places, including Bengaluru and Tirupur and pass it on to Suren’s company which then works on creating the products.
The rag-pickers are taught to segregate and create the products which are competitively priced and some companies, including IT, have found them very useful. The company has a weaving centre in Pollachi where plastic wastes are woven with cotton yarn for products.
