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Turning waste into wealth

Staff Reporter

Students, teachers of17 Delhi schools learn about designing and converting recycled paper into useful products Main objective is to create new local jobs, particularly for unskilled rural women

NEW DELHI: Students and teachers from 17 Delhi schools took part in a two-day workshop this week learning about designing and converting recycled paper into useful products. The workshop -- organised by a non-government organisation, Development Alternatives, in association with the State Department of Environment and Forests -- ended here on Tuesday.

The programme is a follow-up to the setting up of the Mini Paper Recycling Units (MPRU) by the Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) in schools under the eco-club scheme of the Delhi Government.

Student designers from National Institute of Fashion Technology also interacted with the participants on creative designing with paper and experts from TARA, Jhansi, of Development Alternatives demonstrated how to convert waste paper into items products including files, folders, pen stands, lampshades, carry bags and stationery.

"TARA's main objective is to create new local jobs, particularly for unskilled rural women apart from providing livelihoods. The programme also aims at encouraging recycling of paper to ensure conservation of material resources, conservation of trees and water. Hand-made paper technology is a unique technology to recycle waste like cotton rags, denim materials and fibres into high quality handmade paper. TARA, a commercial affiliate of Development Alternatives, produces an infinite range of colour, texture and thickness for hand-made paper that can be used for exciting applications," said Manager Communication, Development Alternatives, Soma Biswas.

Under the programme, TARA has trained hundreds of students and teachers in the process of turning the waste paper from their schools into recycled paper which is then made into useful products including school certificates and invitation cards. This is not, however, the first time that the recycling unit have shown good results. The unit at the Delhi Secretariat recycles 60 kg of waste paper from government departments daily, producing more than 250 sheets of paper, which is made into stationery products for use within the Secretariat.

"TARA has developed a strategy to go beyond paper and has added beautiful and innovative paper products to build its customer base. It launched a new range of handmade paper products, which include lampshades, gift bags and accessories like colour pencils and jewellery boxes. The TARA paper plant at Orchha is being worked at 84 per cent of its capacity, running completely on orders from clients," added Ms. Biswas.

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