On November 8, 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's annoucement to demonetize Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes sent a sharp message across the nation and the globe. Six months after this big announcement the decommissioned notes are being upcycled in the most unique of ways at the National Institute of Design in Ahemedabad.
In a bid to recycle waste and turn it into something useful, students of the National Institute of Design (NID) here are attempting to develop usable products from scrapped currency notes.
The project has been given to the NID by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which has sent over 200kg briquettes (blocks of compressed material) of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes to the institute.
Compressed blocks of shredded Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes - AFP photo
Moreover, students can also earn prize money of Rs. 50,000, Rs 75,000 and Rs. 1 lakh if they are successful at creating a usable design.
Coordinator of furniture and interior design course at the NID Pravinsinh Solanki said that the institute will hold an all-India competition at the end of May.
Pravinsinh Solanki (L) with NID students make products with blocks of shredded outdated Indian currency - AFP photo
Talking about the scrapped notes, Solanki said, "These currency notes have been destroyed and have now become scrap. The government wants us to recycle them."
"The government is aware that we should not waste resources, as a lot of time had gone in designing those notes as well as paper and printing material," he added.
Compressed blocks used to make tabletops, lamp shades, and office accessories - AFP photo
Shredding the notes
The blocks of shredded notes have been sourced from Gujarat where the old currency notes were shredded using machines that were brought in specially for this purpose from The Netherlands.
NID plans to convert these blocks into art, tabletops, lamp shades, and office accessories.
The NID plans to design something which can be helpful for society and inspire others to reuse materials as well.
Solanki however said that it will be too early to say what kind of products can be made from the scrapped notes, and further expressed hope that the initiative to recycle inspires others to help in attaining a green future.
(With Agency inputs)
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