When it started I was in college. People used to buy new clothes, but since I grew up watching my mother sew clothes at home, I thought ‘Why not do something different?’.
I looked at the items I had in the house and found an old rice sack. I decided to try making it into a jacket using lessons I had learned from my mother. It came out so well that people made so many nice comments about it, but it wasn’t just about the praise; it was about me being able to take something that would have eventually been thrown out and turn it into something beautiful.
Twenty-two years later, I still have the jacket. It’s like my masterpiece, I enjoy looking at it and whenever I see it, I feel great.
Recycling materials and working out how not to waste the things I have is still so important to me. I won’t throw anything away, so am constantly finding new ways to make new things from objects that many people would just disregard.
I use old newspapers to make gift bags or decorate photo frames and if I find any torn material I use it to make bags, or whatever is possible — maybe curtains, tablecloths, or table runners. It just happens. I also turn cardboard boxes into magazine or stationery stands, and re-use the water from cleaning fruit or vegetables to water the plants in my garden. These small projects make me really happy; there’s nothing like the appreciation and the satisfaction you get when you make something with your own hands.
This way of thinking has really changed my children’s outlook too. If we buy tin cans, we won’t throw them away when we’ve finished with them. We decorate them and turn them into piggy banks, which my kids give as presents when they go to parties. They are useful, recycled, and there are no two pieces the same. That’s how it is.
I educate them so they really care for the items they have around them. Their first thought when they see something redundant or wasteful should be: “Can I recycle this rather than throw it away?” They’ve already started their own recycling projects and I know they’ll take this forward.
Many people know about this kind of thing, but they don’t apply it in their day to day life. Getting the best out of waste is such a powerful way to contribute to the environment. It’s very important because you have to think about the next generation, right? And then we want them to bring that forward in a better way for a better tomorrow.
Kalpana Trivedi grew up in Hyderabad, India, before moving to Dubai with her husband 20 years ago. She joined Siemens five years ago. Find out more about working at Siemens.
Illustrations: Christopher Lockwood
