Most people wouldn’t think twice when chucking a plastic bottle or bag in the garbage bin but students at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology are doing just that by utilising what one would normally consider to bewaste materials meant for the dump. They recycle the materials to make bio-sand filters and taps with it.
The students have made a wide range of products from the cans they collected from neighbouring areas. Over 20 students have launched the campaign titled, Captain Planet in the Making. The young designers have not only made the products but also installed it on campus.
The bio-sand filter consists of layers of sand and gravel in a bottle used to purify water. The clear water is then taken from the bottle using straws.
Tippy Tap, a low-cost tap meant for handwash, had already been used by students in the Srishti campus. According to the art students, these taps use one-tenth of the water compared to ordinary taps. “Any student can make this simple device. Our three-member team has made it from a plastic can and a wooden plank. If used wisely, the device can last up to 50 to 60 handwashes. It is a good alternative in areas suffering from water scarcity,” said Aajwanthi Bhardwaj, a final year design student.
Recently, these students held a demonstration of the same at a government school. “A container with a small hole near the cap is filled with water and tipped with a stick and rope tied through a hole in the cap. We got a good response from students of the Government Urdu Higher Primary School in DJ Halli. Students can make their own taps. As it is a hands-free device, it is also a good alternative for ordinary taps in public spaces,” says Sara Anand, a third year product design student.
Meanwhile, Ishita Dharap, another product design student, made a multi-purpose bag from recycled gunny bags which she took from a nearby construction site. “The multi-purpose bag can be converted into a sleeping bag too. It can be used in the survival kit provided for natural disaster victims. The average cost of the bag is around Rs50. Extra padding can be given to make it more convenient,” she adds. The personal projects were part of a new course introduced at the institute called ‘Climate Change and Home. Does design matter?’
“We have introduced the course in the curriculum from the current academic year. Around 20 students have enrolled for the first batch.The project has ignited a passion in the students to use design for reducing their carbon footprints,” says Vishwanath S, course co-ordinator, Srishti School of Art. “Many students designed their own green versions of devices like water filters,” he says. In their aim to bring people closer to nature, the students also tried their hand at cooking by making cutlets with an ingredient that is, in fact, edible—azolla, a fern, which ispacked with nutrients.
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