Scrapshala, Ravindrapuri

Budget : NA

Innovation Type (Process/ Product): Process and Product

About the Project:

Scrapshala, founded by Shikha Shah in 2016, is a unique initiative that works towards creating decorative products from waste materials and discarded items. It is a service and product based social venture for managing non-biodegradable dry trash/scrap in the city. Scrapshala provides customized products to customers out of urban trash by the process of upcycling. The company also operates as service provider for green decor themed parties, sustainable home décor and also creates livelihood options through up cycling and waste management. The company is currently dealing in two types of features – Product based (using trash and converting it into useful decorative pieces) and service based (fixing non-working items). Waste or scrap is collected from people on door-to-door basis. A lot of people or industries also happily donate scrap on weekly basis. People from different cities even courier the scrap. The quantity of waste collected per day varies depending upon the waste obtained from the donors and the municipal office. The donated scrap is further segregated, cleaned and stored at the workshop. The workforce at Scrapshala comprises a team of fifteen local artisans and women belonging to the disadvantaged groups. So far, the company has recycled more than 12-13 MT of non-biodegradable waste into creative products of décor and utility. One can buy ScrapShala products online on more than 15 portals such as Kraftly, Flipkart, Amazon, Craftsvilla, WAC, Engrave, lovethistsuff, Culture truck, Soulescence, etc. The products are reasonable enough for people to buy and range between Rs 100 to 5000 depending upon time and skill required to finish a product. It takes usually 2-3 days to transform trash into a product of utility. In addition to upcycling dry waste, the foundation along with the municipal corporation of Varanasi conducts community drives towards waste management. The foundation also works with a few NGOs for providing skill training to the less-privileged girls in Varanasi. However, besides these initiatives, changing the perspective towards waste and selling products made out of waste was one of the few initial challenges faced by the foundation. Other limitation faced by the company for making these type of products is that it can only use uncrushed and unbroken items. Scrapshala presently deals with plastic, glass, Styrofoam, paper and e-waste 2.

Sector : Solid Waste Management

Pilot City : Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Ownership : Varanasi Municipal Corporation

Know More : https://scrapshala.com/

Connect : scrapshala@gmail.com

Solutions

Best Practices

Solid Waste Management Practices in Urban India

Continued Learning

Global Housing Challenge and the need for an Integrated Housing Strategy at the local level
Inclusionary Housing in United States: Prevalence and Practices in the Local Jurisdiction
Informal Housing Supply Continuum in Indian Cities
Affordable Rental Housing in India
Introduction eDCR Training on Drawing Standards
Overview and Process of Double Entry Accounting System