Project Palaash By Delhi University Students Uses Temple Flowers To Make Natural Dyes

The students of Aryabhatta College, University of Delhi, are putting temple waste to good use. Wondering how? Well, the students of the college club Enactus Aryabhatta run several community-based projects, one of which is Project Palaash. Project Palaash was started in 2019 with a vision to safeguard life underwater by tackling the problem of poor waste management in urban temples. Talking about the idea behind Palaash, Parth, President, Enactus Aryabhatta said,

The whole idea behind it came when one of our team members went to a wedding and he saw that the wedding was filled with flowers. I think as Indians we have seen flowers everywhere, be it as offerings at temples or decorations and it is an integral part of every Indian's life. I think that was where the idea was initiated because it sparked the curiosity that what happens to the flowers. We generally think of any plant-based product as biodegradable and the same is the case with flowers. So, we tend to have this association that it is not harmful but, when we researched more about it, we learnt that is not the case. We found out that these flowers were going to various water bodies and they actually release harmful toxins which can harm millions of lives and the environment in general. So, that sparked the idea that we need to find out a way, a method to utilise this floral waste.

The project has tied up with a couple of temples across Delhi. The team collects around 300-400 kgs of flowers from the temples on a weekly basis and takes them to the production facility, which is an NGO. Project Palaash has collaborated with several NGOs across Delhi, giving employment opportunities to a wide range of people. Elaborating on the same, Parth said, 

The first NGO that collaborated with Palaash was STOP NGO. It caters and provides shelter to the victims of human trafficking and then we have expanded into and collaborated with different NGOs and different communities. As we diversified further, we had many collaborators as well and we tapped into their market and their human resources as well by uplifting them in return. So, if I have to give a number I would say Palaash directly employs around 400 to 500 beneficiaries in all its verticals, and all its seasonal campaigns throughout the year.

The team often gets rotten waste, that cannot be used in production. But they see that as a resource as well, and send it off to a composting centre. The other floral waste, fit for dyeing, is sent to natural dyeing centres. Currently, they have 5 different centres, and are in the process of setting up two more. But the floral waste is used not just to dye fabric. Talking about the operational mechanism of Palaash, Parth said,

So, these are the two main verticals which run all year long for project Palaash and once the dyeing process is taken care of then we also have some seasonal campaigns. Our next campaign is during the time of Holi. It is called Abeer and in that, we use the floral waste to extract colour out of it and make rangoli and other Holi colours which can be sold during Diwali and Holi. The third product line and seasonal campaign that we have run during rakhi. In that, we use the floral waste to dye yarn using the techniques such as croquet. We make those rakhis and sell them.

Though the project has been running since 2019, in the first year the focus was mainly on prototyping various techniques and designs. Since then, Project Palaash has definitely had an impact on the environment. Sharing the impact metrics, Parth said,

I would say that we have a calculated impact in the last year or so of reducing 30,000 kilos of chemical pollution. That is the amount of chemical pollution that we have reduced through us dyeing and offering a substitute for synthetic dyes. Other than that we have salvaged over 7,000-8,000 kilos of floral waste.

Apart from promoting sustainability, these young entrepreneurs are also tackling several of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), starting with the one relating to life underwater. Parth said,

We aim to improve the life below water and marine life. By utilising floral waste and giving them another life, we prevent the chemical toxins to release in the water. Other SDGs are life on land, since we are also reducing pollution on land by making sure that the floral waste does not end up in landfills and seep into the soil and reduce soil quality. Other SDGs are no poverty, ensuring education and zero hunger. So, these are some of the other SDGs that we are tackling.

Once the floral waste is collected, it is segregated. The petals are separated and boiled for easy extraction of colour. The team also uses natural products on fabrics so the colour can last longer. A dye bath is made in which the prepared cloth is dipped. Once dipped, the cloth catches colour and is put out to dry in the shade so the colour doesn't fade.

Needless to say, Project Palaash has also impacted the personal choices of those associated with it. Explaining how his choices have changed, Parth said,

Throughout my association with this project and in general, when I read about sustainability, I learned that more than choice, it is about accessibility. They are often lots of sustainable choices but, the main concern remains how accessible are they, and even if they are accessible if the people to whom they are reaching out, can they afford them? Sustainability is generally a bit more expensive than fast fashion brands. I think that is the main discussion that we need to have that how to make a sustainable brand more accessible.

Parth was aware of sustainable choices and options available but he never made any conscious effort towards actually adopting them. He added,

Once you are associated with such a project and you are actually working towards this, you start relating to that cause. When you put in your man hours, that cause becomes much more important to you. So, that is something we need to figure in and that is something that really hit me the most and that is one of the major changes that I have experienced in myself. I have started consciously taking more sustainable choices, more sustainable decisions. It can be something as small as reusing something or buying sustainable clothing in general.