Inauguration of Upcycling Studio @GGS

We all want to do our bit for the environment, don't we? We see polythene bags lying about, and we wonder if we could clear the garbage and make the earth clean. We see skeletal polar bears floating on a three by four block of ice, we feel guilty. We see landfills, smelling abominably and we wonder how people near those landfills live. If only we could do something!

Well we would, if we knew how to handle waste at the individual level, we'd definitely take meaningful steps. That's where upcycling helps. Unlike recycling, it not expensive and capital intensive. We just need to know a few smart ideas, and lo, things that end up in landfills will adorn our cupboards in the drawing and the living room.

For example, take newspapers that end up in dumpsters. Conducting the workshop, Ms. Surbhi Rathi, founder of HastKaagaz, showed us how to make a paste out of newspapers and create a sculpture. Mr. Harshal Mistry, upcycling mentor at GGS showed us how an X-ray film can be converted into a pouch out of it. Cut out the neck of a bottle and you made yourself a treasure out of trash. Not only that, you've saved the earth from choking. Of course in a small way. But doesn’t the journey of a thousand miles start with a small first step? These and many others ideas were shared at the upcycling workshop held at Gajera Global School today.

The workshop was conducted as part of the inaugural ceremony of the upcycling studio at GGS. Speaking at the workshop, Ms. Juhika Devi of Auro University regaled us with the experiences she has had as an art mentor. Dr. Surender Singh Gohil from the Agriculture University at Navsari joined the workshop as a guest.

A note in passing, this upcycling studio is the second such studio in India after Auroville in Tamilnadu.