‘The Sari’, an ambassador for India, is deeply embedded in the Indian psyche and sartorial sense due to its usage starting from the bronze age civilization over 4000 years ago. It embodies the socio-cultural & economic journey of the Indian subcontinent. Sari is relevant not only to the owner but also to people who are involved in making it, especially when it is handcrafted and to the owner who receives it once its life cycle is over. A single product like ‘sari’ is a source of livelihood when it is created and a potential source of livelihood if it is recycled appropriately. This research throws light on existing recycling practices at homes and commercial fronts where it is resold as art and craft or converted as different apparel or non-apparel products. The literature review has various sub-sections of the emotional and business side of recycling practices for better understanding. Primary research revolves around practical problems, awareness levels and trends regarding the same. The main problem area is the increasing stocks of sari in the wardrobe and the missing links in current business practices.
Research and learnings are put into developing a solution which can enable efficient ways of recycling old saris by further adding value to the recycled products which are co-designed by the user and local service provider. This includes Redesign, Rewear, Resell and Reuse. The app will be like a Google map which identifies service providers and creates virtual mockups of possible products from the old sari thereby helping users to make informed decisions.
Solution aims to bind all recycling services under a single roof for the user and simultaneously support local artisans making it an encompassing green initiative.
Roopali Rawat
Master’s in Design
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roopali-rawat-b347aa4/
