A company in India changes scrap into useful items, and changes some minds in the process.
“The word ‘scrap' has always had a negative connotation, as it triggers images of useless and unpleasant things,” says Shikha Shah, founder of Scrap Shala, a start-up focused on upcycling used goods to create sustainable and innovative home décor and gift items. But there’s no negative connotation for Shah, who remembers growing up in Varanasi, India, where her mother, Madhu, creatively repurposed scrap material into reusable items, such as planters from discarded bottles and hair clips from bottle caps, even tissue boxes from audiotapes. “In traditional Marwari business families,” Shah says, “most women are homemakers. My mother channeled her creativity into re-using existing raw materials to create useful and beautiful things.”
In 2016, with a postgraduate degree in environmental studies from TERI University, Delhi, and a diploma in social entrepreneurship from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, Shah launched Scrap Shala.
From pen holders made from discarded keyboards, sunglasses cases fashioned out of old tires, laptop bags sewn on traditional handlooms from newspapers and plastic wrappers, incense sticks repurposed from used temple flowers, and more, Scrap Shala sells innovative products at their store and on their website. The company also sells customized antique furniture and organizes clothes swaps and artisanal marketplaces to promote homegrown sustainable businesses in Varanasi.
Every product is designed by Shah and a selected team and handmade by a team of more than one hundred local artisans who have been trained in traditional handloom weaving, arts and craft, to create these products, providing a boost to local employment. But Shah admits, her undertaking has not been easy. She struggled to convince artisans to work with scrap, and local consumers didn’t immediately recognize the benefits of upcycling. To address these hurdles, Shah organized workshops and exhibited her products at popular local street markets. She benefited from media exposure, including an episode of Shark Tank India featuring her brand.
Consumers also balked at the prices of her products, expecting that items made from used materials should cost less, she says, and failing to consider the skill that goes into making repurposed items, as well as the high quality of her items. “There has always been an uncertainty around getting orders on a daily basis, which is very taxing,” Shah sighs.
But her business is looking up, she says. “Now, the inhabitants of Varanasi think twice before throwing an item away, which is such a refreshing change to see. We are proud to have made Varanasi a beacon of sustainability.” She smiles. “Even tourists make it a point to visit our store.”
“The idea of promoting a business based on scrap goes against the principles of many Indians, and it has been difficult to convince others of the merit of our work,” Shah says. “Yet, we persist, because we believe upcycling is the need of the hour, and our steady sales show that others agree with us.”
