Mangaluru: What would have otherwise ended up in a landfill is now finding a place in offices, homes and gift hampers. In the last seven months, nearly five tonnes of discarded clothes have been transformed into laptop bags, tote bags, pouches, scrunchies and other utility products by women from 10 gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada under an innovative upcycling initiative.The project, Sooji Mallige, was launched last year by Hasiru Dala, an organisation working towards socio-economic inclusion, with the support of the Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat and the SBI Foundation Conserw. Besides reducing textile waste, the initiative has emerged as a livelihood opportunity for rural women.Hasiru Dala project manager Nagaraj Ragav Anchan said that the idea stemmed from the large quantity of usable clothes being discarded with household waste. “Good-quality garments were ending up in landfills. We began door to door collection of unwanted clothes from households, while residents could also drop them into collection boxes placed at anganwadis or hand them over to waste collectors. We also conducted drives in colleges, and if the clothes were in good condition, they were checked and given to needy waste pickers. The intiative has also helped us collect a lot of waste material from tailor shops” he said.As part of the initiative, two women from each Sanjeevani okoota in 10 gram panchayats were trained in basic tailoring and product design. Today, the women convert old textiles into a range of reusable products, including laptop sleeves, tote bags, pouches, scrunchies and hairbands. Hasiru Dala purchases the finished products from the women. The products are marketed under the Sooji Mallige brand. Many of the products are used as corporate gifts, while demand from institutions and organisations continues to grow.According to Anchan, some women earn about Rs 20,000 a month, while the collective currently records a monthly turnover of around Rs 1.5 lakh. Around 10 to 13 women are now engaged in regular production.Recently, three women represented the Sooji Mallige brand at Bharat Tex in New Delhi, a flagship textile exhibition supported by the Union ministry of textiles. Their work was appreciated by Union minister Giriraj Singh and senior officials, including the deputy commissioner of Delhi. Demand for the products has continued to rise, with organisations such as the Lions Club placing bulk orders. “The market is there, but our challenge now is meeting the growing demand,” Anchan said.Hasiru Dala is also planning to encourage gram panchayats to market the products locally.
