What is upcycling?
In India, upcycling isn’t an unfamiliar term… our grandmothers and mothers used to upcycle almost everything…and many households upcycle a lot of things even today. For example our mom’s sarees… are made into razais. Many women especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan even today sit together and stitch their sarees together to make beautiful razais and blankets.
Mothers & grandmothers cut up their beautiful sarees to make clothes for their children/ grandchildren. Old mulmul sarees were and are used to make jablas for new born babies and mom’s old sarees are also used to make a swinging cradle in which the baby is placed to sleep. Even in trains one can see a new mother/ grandmother tying up a saree on the hook of the upper berth to make this cradle. Clothes of older siblings are altered to fit the next child in the family. It’s literally like a legacy being handed down the generations!
Old t shirts are converted into cleaning cloths and even doormats.
Our toothbrushes are put to other uses after we stop brushing our teeth with them! To clean shoes, taps etc.
Plastic is a very useful product and yet the one time use and discarded plastic bags are causing havoc worldwide.
In the yesteryears when there were no plastic bags, people used cloth bags. Yes! Old clothes were upcycled to make bags for different products. For example there were different bags for buying grains, vegetables, meat, or other provisions. Of course there were pretty upcycled bags to go for shopping with the family. It was a matter of great pride to be seen with personally designed bags.
Almost all our clothing can be upcycled.
If this is not upcycling, what is?
Today we have so many opportunities, we have different machines, resources, knowledge which we can get from anywhere in the world, what we lack is motivation and the willingness to make a difference. Mother Earth is crying… wake up!
In India we have moved away from these common traditional sustainable practices. Unfortunately today the mind-set is that of, what is called Fast Fashion - use and throw… this is impacting Mother Earth and our future in a big way AND we are losing many of our traditional crafts! Many of our skilled craftsmen are out of jobs as the demand for their craft has dwindled. Good tailors, cobblers, carpenters are so hard to find. It’s because they have moved away from their traditional craft for greener pastures. Some, who continue to practice their craft are unaffordable.
With the advent of cheap readymade garments, tailors are becoming redundant.
The goal of upcycling is to reduce waste, promote sustainability, and create innovative and unique items from materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.
Cotton-based clothing, such as denim, makes up a large proportion of textile waste which lands up in landfills.
Cotton farming consumes land and resources. Waste denim could be converted efficiently into reusable cotton fibres, and this could help address the problem to some extent. Upcycling is the other solution.
Upcycling involves repurposing materials or objects in innovative ways to give them a new lease on life, rather than simply disposing them off as waste. It is to repurpose and transform old or discarded materials into new and useful products. This practice encourages creativity, resourcefulness, and a more conscious approach to consumption and waste management.
Transforming trash into treasure is Upcycling!
Upcycling is not only environmentally friendly but also allows for creative expression and resourcefulness.
In today’s times, with increasing concerns about environmental sustainability and resource depletion, upcycling is gaining recognition as a valuable practice. It aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible.
As awareness of environmental issues continues to grow, upcycling serves as an important tool for individuals, businesses, and communities to make a positive impact on the planet. Individuals and businesses can contribute to a more sustainable and eco- friendly way of living and doing business
YOU can make a difference…. Help in bringing about a change. How? One small step at a time. Refuse one time plastic bags while you are shopping. Encourage others to do the same.
Carry a shopping bag for impromptu shopping. Support upcycling by using upcycled bags for shopping.
At Liru creations we have shopping bags that fold into a small pouch which easily fits into a handbag or even a pocket!
What’s more, give your clothes to us to upcycle for you! We will make not only shopping bags but a variety of things customised for your needs and taste. To know more…
Contact Us: lirucreations@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 9944911697.