“Pulp (and paper) is the third largest industrial polluter of air, water and soil and I wanted to help avoid this,” says a passionate environment lover, Neerja Palisetty. Her dream to build a sustainable environment and passion for weaving blended and brought an eco-textile creation into existence. 

About two years ago, Neerja started Jaipur-based Sutrakaar Creations, which focuses on eco-textile creations made from waste paper, recycled paper, and natural materials. Most of the raw materials for her creations are collected from paper export houses and kabadiwalas. 

“Our products are 100 percent handmade and handcrafted, and with minimal use of electrically operated machines,” Neerja explained, adding, “The idea is to juxtapose crafts with post-consumer waste so that we promote fair trade, craft empowerment, zero-waste and ethical fashion.”

Through her weaving studio, Neerja brings in global touch to the artwork. She said, “It is also an open space for experimental weaving and I have collaborated with a few international artists and designers to create artworks and installations.”

Explaining the process, Neerja said that the paper is cut into strips of 2-4mm, twisted and hand-spun over the charkha to make thread-like strings using adhesive. This is used as the weft; the warp is either cotton or Ahimsa silk, both are recycled industrial waste. Palisetty works with weavers, four looms (two big pedal looms and two smaller ones), and women for cutting and trimming, at her studio in Jaipur.

Products from Neerja’s Sutrakaar Creations.
Source: YourStory

Her products are pouches and handbags, gift items such as diary covers and photo frames, and home decor accents such as lampshades and room dividers. All of them are made form the 80 percent upcycled waste yarn. The prices of the products range between Rs 850 and Rs 10,000.

If we recap, Neerja’s love for weaving and sustainable environment comes from her family. She was born into a family of weavers in a small village in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Ponduru is known for its fine khadi and cotton weaves, and almost every other house had a loom. In fact, Neerja’s father was a textile designer graduate from the first batch of NID Ahmedabad. She agreed with this to be a huge influence on her life. “Influenced by him, I studied clothing and textiles during my graduate course at MSU Baroda. Later, I pursued a post-graduation course in higher education from Nottingham Trent University. Now, I have an experience of over 17 years working in the fashion industry and education sectors. But I owe all the textile design knowledge I have to my father,” she shared.

Before starting up her own weaving studio in Jaipur, which was her dream, she has worked as a merchandiser at Tirupur in Tamil Nadu and as a design professor in Coimbatore and later Jaipur.

Neerja’s Sutrakaar Creations is not only helping the environment but is also changing lives of women and local weavers. “I am able to provide employment to housewives and local weavers. I started with one weaver and today I have three weavers and five housewives. People in India and abroad have heard about our products and are keen to understand the process,” she stated.

”My dream is to educate more people globally to follow a sustainable lifestyle. My husband has now joined me in my work. This is our contribution to saving the earth for future generations,” shared Neerja.

H/T: YourStory