KOCHI: At the hands of Sujitha Sarojammal, nail paint bottles turn into instruments, old plastic containers become elegant flower vases and pistachio shells turn into embellishments. She specialises in giving trash a second breathe of life.
Turning the mundane into the extraordinary is an everyday hobby for Sujitha, a techie based in Infopark, Kochi. A self-taught craft maker, Sujitha believes in sustainable choices and a green way of living. This is why most decor pieces in her house are derived from the trash.
Sujitha’s upcycling journey began almost three years ago after she chanced upon an item made out of coconut shells. “It was during an exhibition at our office. That got me thinking, why not use old nail paint bottles to make something new,” says Sujitha.
That was how a miniature violin was born out of the refuse. Since then, she has been making miniature instruments like guitars, pianos, keyboards, tablas and more out of nail paint bottles, makeup boxes and acrylic paint bottles. “I used to have many of these nail paint bottles stocked up, precisely because there was no way to dispose of them sustainably,” recalls Sujitha.
Ever since she started upcycling, she has found a use for every piece of trash. “A little bit of dash of paint and you get a beautiful set of decors from things you otherwise discard. I do not let any bottle go waste,” says Sujitha.
Old utensils and earthen pots in the kitchen get turned into planters after she subjects them to decoupage. “I try my best to incorporate the green way of living. If I get to repurpose the waste, then the trash that gets out of my home will be reduced,” says Sujitha.
There was a time when neighbours would drop off plastic bottles at her place. “They saw how I make use of old bottles and would drop off the refuse. But now, I see them doing it on their own, and that is a good thing,” she says.