Turning plastic wrappers into practical items

DW (English)

Satyajith Aggarwal collects plastic waste on the shore of Puducherry and uses it to create colorful handmade crafts. His initiative is catching on, generating income for women in nearby villages with work that keeps their surroundings clean.

Transcript

00:00 They are eye-catching, even useful, and made totally from trash.

00:06 Uducheri beach in Tamil Nadu is a wash in plastic waste.

00:11 Satyajit Agarwal used to hand-pick the rubbish and dispose it off in garbage bins.

00:17 Until he realized that that didn't make it disappear.

00:21 Today he views plastic trash as a resource, a raw material that he turns into attractive

00:26 items, inspired by the years he lived and worked in Australia, where more plastic is

00:32 recycled.

00:38 I spent my childhood here in Uducheri.

00:41 I went to school here for 10 years.

00:44 I loved the beach and I am fond of the sea.

00:48 Almost every day I would come and play by the seashore.

00:54 So I have lots of memories from that time.

00:57 I missed Uducheri a lot, so I returned.

01:02 But after I came back, I noticed lots of things weren't the same.

01:07 There were piles of garbage on the seashore.

01:10 I felt the urge to try to change something.

01:13 Plastics, especially multi-layered plastics like potato chip bags, for example, can't

01:18 be recycled.

01:20 It's a huge burden on our environment.

01:25 He is now passing on his skills to people in and around Uducheri.

01:32 The plastic garbage and its problems affected him deeply, as there is no proper solution.

01:38 Instead of collecting and cleaning the garbage to create craft products, it would be easier

01:43 if everyone separated their trash at source.

01:47 That way, we could do this artwork from home, using materials used to package milk or chips.

01:58 The objects can be sold.

02:00 The environmental activist advises women about how to make money with their crafts.

02:05 Upcycled items like this bag, for example, were sold at the Zero Waste Festival in Uducheri.

02:12 It's a win-win situation.

02:14 I am from Panayorkuppam.

02:16 Our livelihoods are based on the sea.

02:18 But these days, a lot of garbage is being washed ashore, like plastic and other trash.

02:24 We had no idea of what to do about it.

02:28 But now we use it to make baskets, handbags and other craft work.

02:33 And then when Mr. Satyajit comes to collect the products, he pays us 200 Indian rupees

02:38 for small baskets.

02:39 That's more than 2 euros, 300 rupees for big baskets, 800 for handbags and 900 for

02:46 children's bags.

02:47 And the important thing is, now our village is very clean.

02:52 There is no plastic.

02:57 When I saw those village women who are making a living doing this, I got inspired to volunteer.

03:05 We are all very happy about it.

03:12 Agarwal wants to spread a sense of responsibility.

03:19 This is a small step from my side.

03:21 If we are all determined to make some effort, we can protect our environment, beaches and

03:27 nature.

03:31 The biggest threat to earth, he says, is the belief that someone else will save it.

03:36 (blender whirring)

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