Inundated by an abundance of waste plastic
that invariably accompany shopping items, Miramar-resident Sandra D’Souza
decided to turn this heap of waste into something creative and trendy. “It is a
cry to help the environment,” avers this homemaker who is putting her recently
acquired crocheting skills to use for the purpose. “We invariably land up with
so much of plastic which is difficult to dispose off. Throwing them out is not
the answer. We need to recycle and reuse. That which is dangerous can be
channelised into something creative and useful,” she propagates. “The most
common is the fine blue plastic bag which is very dangerous for the
environment,” she adds.
To put her idea into action, Sandra began
collecting the plastic bags from her own home – her mother’s place in Panjim
and her immediate neighbours. Pairing her recently acquired crocheting skills
with her creative imagination, this lady was soon fashioning a trendy load of
items. “Somebody gave me loads of packing material out of which I made a
trendy, unique bag which I carry to church,” says Sandra of her creations which
are drawing much attention and appreciation. Her gifts to family and friends
have travelled as far as the UK and US.
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From bags to hats, rugs and belts to pamper
holders, the sky is the limit for this lady’s imagination. “My crochet skills
are that of a novice and I only do the simple chain as compared to the very
complicated stitches our Goans are so versatile at. The only difference is that
I have found a different creative avenue for this skill. I love experimenting
and to my own surprise, I have come up with some pretty awesome and unique
stuff. The possibilities are limitless,” she says, urging others to do the same
and channelise their waste material into productive items.
To this end, she has been conducting a
couple of workshops in church and is heartened by the response from the
elderly, especially men! “I want to spread the message to convents, so that
these students in turn can send out the message to the larger public.”
Once the cumbersome job of making strips is
done, one just needs an idea to get started. “The aim is two-fold. One is that
it will help to recycle the waste plastic bags into something productive and
secondly it is a great hobby, especially for those afflicted with arthritis and
poor eyesight as the plastic strips are thicker than thread. It’s also a great
hobby for those who are lonely,” she reiterates.
‘De-clutter your homes from plastic, turn
them into something creative’ is her clarion call to all Goans.
