Vitamin Green

We think recycling plastic waste usefully is an impressive achievement, because thats the one kind we’re often at a loss to reuse. Which is why we find a couple of companies based in Delhi really interesting…

Conserve and Thunk seem to have figured how to convert plastic bags, waste cloth and other waste into really attractive ‘upcycled’ products like bags, wallets, footwear, stationery and home decor items. They make great alternatives for leather (and other materials) we are using today and as gifts too…

We’re always on the lookout for ways in which everyday things can be reused instead of being discarded after a single use.

While walking through the riverine island of Chorao, I came across a house where someone had very cleverly re-purposed used soft-drink bottles as plant containers in an elegant composition on a low wall. One was designed like a hanging basket and was used to grow mint! A third design (not in the photos) was a simple one where the top had been cut-off to make a 6″-8″ deep, tall container and it had the shorter variety of sanseviera (mother-in-law’s tongue) growing in it.

I like this idea because one can create a colourful array (some soft-drink bottles have attractive stickers that can be kept on) of containers at no extra cost, and more importantly, by not bringing new goods into your consumption basket. While I’m not a big fan of bottled soft-drinks, I could just as easily run to my local bhangarwala (recycler) and buy these from Re.1 to Rs. 10 a piece, depending on the size.

Put in a friend’s favourite plant and this makes a great little gift. These containers can also be used to germinate seeds before you put them out in the open.