DELHI: Have you ever noticed the amount of waste generated on a day-to-day basis, which ends up in landfills?
Thankfully, a handful of environmental advocates have been tackling the issue of waste management in creative ways.
Chhatarpur resident Meenakshi Sharma is one such person. The 34-year-old has been committed to engaging actively with sustainability right after graduating with a degree in fashion merchandising from Pearl Academy, Delhi.
"Ever since my childhood, I had always been concerned about the environment," mentions Sharma. Her upbringing also played a role in furthering her journey towards sustainability.
"My family taught me how to better utilise resources. In college, I ventured into projects that had to do with waste," she shares.
Along with her team, Sharma converts waste into utilitarian products for her brand Use Me Works, which officially launched in 2017. "We picked up the name 'Use Me' literally from the dustbin. Since we were working with waste, we decided to use something that every bin says but no one listens to," she quips.
Waste to wonder
"Waste has always been a huge issue in the country. It talks about the relationship we have with resources and how we treat them. I wanted to create a brand that will help people rethink the choices they make with regards to consumption and disposal," Sharma elaborates. Through Use Me Works, Sharma and her team make sure that nothing goes to waste. They craft functional products — from small accessories to home decor pieces — that can also replace plastic goods.
"We craft waste fabric packaging bags that can be used instead of the usual plastic bags. These can be washed and reused, therefore reducing the overall carbon footprint," she adds.
With a small studio and workshop in Chhatarpur, Use Me Works trains and employs a cluster of women belonging to economically-vulnerable groups from the neighbourhood to handcraft these products.
"These women are not just willing to work, they are also in need of it. There are women who cannot venture out into the workspace due to several circumstances. Being able to provide a livelihood to them and channel their energy into something productive is a beautiful feeling," Sharma points out.
Talking about flexible work hours for these women, she mentions, "Many of them come to work after they put their child to bed. A few can’t come to the workshop so they work from home. If we had been stringent about timings, they could not have worked with us."
A wholesome endeavour
Although they started out as an eco-conscious brand, over time, Sharma realised that along with creating such products, they also need to make consumers aware about waste management and recycling.
"We needed to sensitise people about such concepts,” she shares. With that in mind, Use Me Works also has a vertical through which Sharma conducts “fun educational” workshops for students, corporates, and individuals to teach them how to develop products from waste. Speaking about her journey as a green entrepreneur, she concludes, “These few years have been enriching because, while you are helping people, you are learning from them as well. However, I think we have a long way to go."
Although they started out as an eco-conscious brand, over time, Sharma realised that along with creating such products, they also need to make consumers aware about waste management and recycling.
"We needed to sensitise people about such concepts,” she shares. With that in mind, Use Me Works also has a vertical through which Sharma conducts “fun educational” workshops for students, corporates, and individuals to teach them how to develop products from waste. Speaking about her journey as a green entrepreneur, she concludes, “These few years have been enriching because, while you are helping people, you are learning from them as well. However, I think we have a long way to go."