CUTTACK: Shredded pieces of fabric, crumpled cardboards, torn paper sheets, coconut shells and crushed plastic bottles. These may seem like everyday waste to us but for Cuttack’s Lipsa Behura, it is a medium for meaningful art that translates into thoughtful gifts.
Lipsa is the founder of an eco-friendly gifting venture ‘Beyond Waste’ through which, she has introduced a diverse array of gifts, ranging from upcycled scrap fabric jewellery, recycled paper diaries, candles from coconut shells to wall hangings from paper waste, each product blending aesthetics with sustainability. In fact, she has always been passionate about art and sustainability. An MBA graduate from Sri Sri University, Lipsa launched her venture in 2022 with an idea to bring a meaningful change in the gifting industry.
“I chose the gifting sector because it is growing at a rapid rate and this is also an area where people do not look into the sustainability aspect and also overlook the extent of plastic that the industry consumes. Through Beyond Waste, I wanted to help people realise that gifts can be eco-friendly and do not have to contribute to the carbon footprint,” she said.
It was during her MBA internship at a few villages when Lipsa came across the idea of manufacturing eco-friendly handicrafts and other gifting options. She volunteered for a ‘Youth for Sustainability’ campaign by a local NGO where she began understanding climate change and the need for plastic waste management.
“Our products are a blend of creativity and eco-consciousness. They are not just beautiful but also have a positive impact on the planet. Beyond Waste today retails a variety of handcrafted products designed to show just how beautiful and purposeful upcycling can be,” said Lipsa.
She uses scrap fabric to design jewellery items while coconut shells and spices are converted into scented candles. While glass bottles are upcycled as lamps, upcycled cardboards are used to create fridge magnets and wall hangings in her studio. Although ensuring quality and durability of recycled products was an initial challenge for Lipsa and her team, they overcame the obstacle through multiple experiments.
“The method in which the waste, be it cloth or paper or any other material, is handled decides on how well they can be recycled or upcycled. We learnt it through trial and error,” she said.
Apart from her store in Cuttack and social media handles, Lipsa retails at Balijatra and other events in the Twin City every year. Initially, the demand for upcycled products was low but as the understanding of plastic menace and upcycling grew, people are now choosing products made from upcycled and eco-friendly materials as gifts and even for their own consumption, she added. Among Lipsa’s most popular creations are recycled paper diaries and jewellery crafted from scrap Sambalpuri fabric.
Source link : View Article
