How 'Use Me Works' Gives A New Lease Of Life To Old Clothes

"Do you know it takes around 2800 litres of water to make a t-shirt and 8,000-10,000 litres of water to make one denim jeans?", says Meenakshi Sharma, founder of Use Me Works. Meenakshi is right. Globally, the fashion industry is the second most water-intensive industry in the world. The most common and easily understood statistic in this regard is the fact that it takes 2,700 litres of water to make the average cotton t-shirt, which is enough drinking water for one person for 900 days. That is a massive amount of water feeding the fast fashion industry. There is a further environmental fallout with the textile industry being the second largest contributor to pollution globally. It emits more greenhouse gases than the airlines and maritime industries combined.

And then we throw the clothes away and they rot in landfills. 70 per cent of garments manufactured either end up in landfills or are incinerated. Those toxic landfills, polluting our air, soil and water, that you see growing by the year are made up, in part, of the clothes, shoes and bags that we all throw out.

But where there is a catastrophic crisis brought on by humankind, there are also solutions that we can follow - individually, as communities, or as cities and countries.

You and I can keep our clothes out of landfills, and make them useful even if they're a little torn. Meenakshi is here to tell you exactly how. Recalling her journey, she says,

"While I was in college I was visiting many factories and I happened to work on projects where we were upcycling factory waste. All this waste was being sent to landfills, incinerated, and was being dumped inappropriately causing pollution. I picked that idea, started working on a solution, and created an eco-conscious brand 'Use Me Works'. Use Me is what we picked up from the dustbin because it's always saying 'use me'. And that's how our journey started.

Discarded clothes were turned into bags and decorations by 'Use Me Works' when they first began. They soon realised that their workshop had become a dumping ground for people who wanted to simply discard their old clothes. But the conscience was still missing. Elaborating on the challenge and the solution, Meenakshi said,

When we started, we were making simple products like bags, accessories, and decorations. But, we soon realised that within six months we had literally no place to sit. Our place became a dumping centre people for people because they thought we are just a recycling centre and we can keep taking waste. But, the problem was, when we worked on the waste and went back to the same people with the products, they didn't accept them. That's when we realised, there was something wrong with the process. We realised it's not an individual problem but a collective problem. So, the solution will also come collectively. That's when we decided that whosoever comes to us with the waste they will have to become a part of the solution too. Maybe not wholly, but, they will have to consume some part of the waste that they are sending us.

Once the clothes reach the workshop, they are segregated according to size and colour. After segregation, the clothes get a good cleaning. Then the women set to work on them, turning them into not just bags and accessories, but also a replacement for other polluting materials.

We want to make sure that the products are handcrafted so more and more women can make them. Apart from that, we want to make a product that can act as a replacement for plastic. Those products can be plastic bags or balloons. So. we create decorations that come in handy for people who want to have parties or anniversaries where they put balloons. Instead of that, we give them decorations, said Meenakshi.

Naturally, sensitisation and awareness are key, and how can that be done? Through workshops. Meenakshi often conducts workshops on how to upcycle one's belongings and make the best out of waste. These workshops are conducted for different age groups to achieve maximum reach and impact, and to influence behaviour across generations. Talking about her workshops, Meenakshi said,

The whole idea is that when we go there, we interact about waste - what their understanding of waste is and what they can do about it. The whole idea is not to make them upcyclers. Not everyone can upcycle. The idea is to churn their minds, to create a mindset that when they look at waste, they see it as a resource next time.

What's interesting is that all the artisans at Use Me Works are women. With no previous work experience and limited exposure to the outside world, Meenakshi opened new doors for these women, who had earlier not been allowed to even leave their homes. While some women work at the workshop, some take the material home and bring back the final product. Use Me Works is helping women become independent and self-sufficient, and is also benefitting from their natural disposition. Talking more about the same, Meenakshi said,

Women have been the nurturers. We have been working with our hands so much. These women were more patient with me, with the whole understanding and accepting. They were willing to pick a new path. There's always a chase to get things done. I wanted to come to an area where people needed work and women in this area do not go to far-off places. They were in need of work.

One of the women is Nisha, supporting Meenakshi in this noble cause. Speaking with NDTV, Nisha said,

I'm from Uttar Pradesh. I have always been fond of sewing. I came here and spoke to Meenakshi ma'am. I told her I'm interested in sewing and will do this work.

A quick note about Nisha, she left her abusive husband and is now working with Meenakshi at Use Me Works. She is raising a son all by herself. She is independent and happy that all her hard work is in some way contributing to saving the environment.

All this waste goes to landfills and causes pollution. We are saving the environment by utilising waste.

Talking about utilising waste and walking on the path of sustainability, Meenakshi said,

Sustainability can be practiced with the most unsustainable products also. It is just about having the correct approach toward resources.

Another initiative empowering women and promoting sustainability is USHA's Silai School Programme. Talking about how the Silai School Programme is helping women, Mary Rupa Tete, Vice President, USHA Social Services said,

USHA started the Silai School network in 2011 with the objective of reaching out to the most marginalized women in rural India to skill them in sewing and stitching and also support setting up their own micro-enterprises called the USHA Silai Schools. During the pandemic there was a great dearth or scarcity of fabric and women. The Silai School women started collecting old garments and fabric to make new products. Now, this has become a practice in that cluster and this is being promoted with the help of many silai school trainers which UsSHA has.