Plastic items are becoming increasingly common, but their difficult-to-decompose nature poses a serious environmental problem. India is the country most severely affected by plastic waste pollution in the world. The non-governmental organization Conserve has been working to recycle plastic waste into useful products.
Used plastic bags are found everywhere, causing blockages in the drainage systems of cities. They also pose a lethal threat to livestock that may accidentally ingest them.
Since 1999, the NGO Conserve has been researching a project to transform plastic waste into fashionable and useful products such as handbags, shoes, and household items.
Mrs. Anita Ahuja, President of Conserve, stated: “Currently, people are using a lot of plastic bags and disposing of them carelessly. We believe that this is not right. We want to create designated waste areas and will collect this special type of waste to produce bags, shoes, and many other items. The process of making these fashionable products is not overly complex, but it does require a lot of manpower.”
Every morning, many people, primarily women, spread out to collect used plastic bags. They are instructed to sort the bags by color. After collection, the bags are taken to a washing facility on the outskirts of the city. Once cleaned and dried, the bags are sent to the production department, where high temperatures are used to flatten them into sheets.
Based on the color of the plastic sheets, designers create various styles for the bags. Not stopping at initial success, they also produce shoes and household items. Recycled plastic is also used as material to create colorful jewelry.
