Delhi University students just redefined ‘best out of worst’. An enthusiastic group of students from Delhi University is making a fortune by recycling cellulose from cigarette butts and creating beautiful keychains and colourful cushions out of them.
They started the initiative in 2016, and since then claim to have recycled 400kg cigarette butts under ‘Project CiggB’.
Presently, they operate in 13-14 micro-markets by reaching out to ragpickers and ensuring that cigarette butts from each locality are collected and then reach them. Next comes the process of segregating them. Each cigarette butt contains three substances, paper, tobacco, and cellulose.
While the paper and tobacco is recycled using the standard method, the cellulose is used to make cushion fillings and keychains.
The work of segregating and cleaning the butts, and stitching the cushions is done by women who come from a poor financial background.
Around 20-30 women have been appointed for segregation and 10-15 for stitching the cushions. While rag pickers are paid INR 450 for every kg of cigarette butts they collect the women get INR 200 per completed cushion.
The final product is vibrant and colourful, and decorated with sequins or motifs from popular TV shows and football clubs. These are then sold online through the Enactus store starting at INR 30 for keychains and INR 200 for cushions.
Read the whole story here.
Cover Image Courtesy | Source
