A priest standing next to a pile of used flowers. An NGO whose staff offered to help the priest. This was, in short, the genesis of Delhi-based Avacayam Foundation, an initiative of the Society of Child Development, in the year 2001.
Goodie bag designed by Club Artizen and made by Avacayam
The flower collection expanded to hotels, wedding halls and other temples, and were made into gulal, agarbattis, and also compost. After the success of the gulal project, the organization’s journey of recycling other materials began in earnest. Now, Avacayam’s team designs products and works with a wide variety of materials including newspaper, fabric waste, electronic waste, and foam. The foundation was started with the sole purpose of providing employment to people with disabilities, and now supports more than 100 people with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Perhaps it is because of their roots in gulal that most of Avacayam’s products are colourful and striking. Avacayam’s diyas, recycled from beer cans, are a top-selling product, as are their fridge magnets. The organization creates new products, always keeping an eye on the environment and is eager to work with newer materials. Their MLP Multi-Purpose Pouch and foldable shopping bags, mostly made from recycled multi-layered plastic (and so, bright and colourful), are the way forward to recycle those ubiquitous Kurkure packets!
Club Artizen works with Avacayam to bring you exclusively designed products with a heart. Shop here for Avacayam-made products.
