Swap shop, footmats, and LED bulbs: Haritha Karma Sena members in Kerala’s Varkala turn waste into wealth
Members of the Haritha Karma Sena in Varkala, Kerala, are repurposing waste into valuable products like footmats, pillows, and LED bulbs. Their initiatives include operating a swap shop for pre-loved clothing and utilizing microenterprise loans to expand their manufacturing capabilities.
Why it matters
This demonstrates a successful grassroots model for circular economy practices and sustainable waste management in local municipalities.
In Varkala municipality, Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) members who do door-to-door waste collection take the 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—very seriously.
Each time they organise a waste collection drive during which, along with plastic, clothes are collected, they sort them and send those that are grubby, faded, or worn out for recycling to Powergreen Eco Solutions at Oonninmoodu. The clothes that are worth salvaging are cleaned and then stocked at a swap shop, giving a new lease of life to pre-loved clothes that otherwise would just have taken up space in cupboards without benefit to anyone.
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