Saving Resources - upcycling in India!
By Vanshika Kumar & Wilson Tao
When considering budgeting, the typical focus is on cost-cutting and smart fund allocation. However, the significance of saving and reusing resources should not be overlooked, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy budget. In the rural and mountainous community of Bir, located near the Himalayas in Northern India, Vanshika Kumar, our chapter director, has exhibited remarkable creativity in managing her budget. By repurposing empty plastic chip bags, bamboo shoots, and other discarded items, she ingeniously crafted numerous practical household furniture pieces, effectively reducing her expenses and making the most of available resources. Vanshika's innovative approach highlights the potential for resourcefulness in budgeting and demonstrates how reusing materials can lead to significant savings.
Vanshika and her friend built a seat cushion out of plastic chip bags and bamboo … And it looks awesome!
In her close-knit local community, where resources are scarce and even obtaining milk requires reaching out to neighbors who own cows, the importance of reusing and conserving resources cannot be overstated. In this context, effectively managing a budget and making the most of limited resources is paramount. Vanshika, together with a friend, embarked on the creation of a unique product: a plastic cushion. The process involved several steps and took nearly a week to complete.
They began by collecting plastic materials from their surroundings, meticulously washing and drying them. Then, they obtained grass straw or bamboo sticks and tightly folded the plastic around them. By joining the plastic pieces together, they created a long rope. Rolling the rope into a round shape, they skillfully sewed it with strong thread, resulting in the creation of a resilient plastic cushion. The same process was repeated to craft additional cushions, eventually completing a set of seats. Through resourcefulness and ingenuity, Vanshika exemplifies the transformative power of reusing materials to meet practical needs in a resource-limited community.
Vanshika’s strong interest in arts and crafts combined with her savvy recycling skills led her to repurpose scrap cloth into a keychain!
