The upcycling game

MYSURU: The chocolate wrapper or chips packet you threw away today, could actually find its way into your home as a piece of furniture, home décor item, stationery, or even the roof of your house. Hard to believe? Darshan C, a 27-year-old Mysurean, is actually doing that, and reducing the amount of plastic waste Mysuru City Corporation has to deal with.

There are alternatives to plastic, but it is a new-age reality that is difficult to avoid as it is cheap, says Darshan, director of Jagruth Tech Private Limited, a waste plastic recycling unit that he set up at Excel Plant in JP Nagar. “We talk about plastic and polythene bags but forget chocolate wrappers and snacks packets that are as much responsible for the degradation of the environment,” says Darshan.

Darshan launched ‘Jagruth’, an Android app, to collect dry waste in and around Mysuru. One can download the app from Google Play Store, enter mobile number, turn on the location and click on the ‘Pick my Trash’ option, then click a picture of the trash that needs to be picked up, set the pick-up date and hit ‘Submit’. People can also contact their helpline 8095480957.

About 20 ragpickers segregate the plastic waste at the plant daily. Plastic bottles and bags are separated according to thickness. First, they shred the plastic, then clean the covers and run it through a hot press.
Chocolate wrappers and snack packets, which contain aluminium, are processed to create plastic boards. These boards can be used as an alternative to plywood. This plywood can lend itself to sawing, moulding, cutting, gluing, screwing and nailing, just like any other type of board. Another major advantage of recycling chocolate wrappers is that they are waterproof and act as heat insulators.

The team has been turning plastic waste into products like interlock bricks, furniture (table, chair, decorative stand), home décor items, office stationery, materials for ceilings and other products that are used in interior works of the house.

NEW PRODUCT LINE
The team will soon launch ‘Eco Tuf’ and ‘Eco Tra’, an alternative to plywood. Plastic packets of snacks are difficult to recycle and are converted into attractive and beneficial products, Darshan said. Eco Tuf is a chipboard created from waste plastic bags (multi-layered plastics) which are waterproof. It is formaldehyde-free, waterproof, has a unique texture, is a heat insulator, is acoustic-proof with complete termite protection.

Eco Tra is created from recycled beverage cartons, which are water-resistant. “Banning of plastic is not possible as there is huge demand in the market. So we should focus on recycling it. We are on a mission to create awareness among people about the environmental hazards caused due to the use of plastic. Our mantra is ‘Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’. Our goal is to save the environment and eventually oceans, from pollution,” says Darshan.

CARBON FOOTPRINT

Plastic is waterproof, formaldehyde-free, 
powder-free, sound-proof, a heat insulator, low on cost. Also, termites don’t eat plastic. We can save wood by using plastic as these sheets are a good replacement for plywood.

“Cotton or paper bags and other bags consume more energy and create a larger carbon footprint than plastic while being manufactured. A single recycled paper bag produces 2.1 kg of carbon dioxide, while a recycled plastic bag produces 1.3 kg of carbon dioxide,” Darshan said.