Almost one and a half kg of plastic bags are needed to make a four by seven foot durrie. The plastic bags are first washed, cut into strips and then woven with colourful cotton thread on a loom. A durrie normally costs about Rs 300, but much depends on the design, size and labour that goes into it. A day’s labour costs Rs 60.

Apart from durries, there are table mats for about Rs 30, shopping bags which cost Rs 35, colourful cushions made from bits of old cloth and baskets for Rs 25 each. These are made from used Pan Parag wrappers.

Plastic floor mats are easy to maintain. You can sweep away any dust which collects on them and they may be washed away with just a fistful of any detergent. In comparison to heavy cotton mats, a plastic floor mat is lighter and dries much faster.

Jan Sewa Ashram’s factory, up in the hills (Parwanoo), manufactures all this. They employ about 43 people. Discarded plastic bags are collected locally, woven into durries and packed off to their shop in Delhi.

But the durries are equally popular in the hills too, where they are made. "Durries keep the room warm during the warm winter months. They don’t cost much and are pretty too," points out Dikshit.

Disposal of discarded plastic bags is a major headache because the material is not biodegradable. "In the hills, the situation is worse because bags which are carelessly disposed off, block drains and streams. They prevent rainwater from seeping into the earth and are one of the reasons for soil erosion and landslides," says Dikshit.

"It’s essential for people to understand this," he adds. So the Jan Sewa Ashram celebrated Eco Day once a month by conducting a waste management workshop in schools. Children are encouraged to collect one and a half kg of plastic bags and pay Rs 60 for a day’s labour. Children are shown how the durries are made.

"We want people to see waste as a resource and a business opportunity," says Dikshit. "We’d also like to highlight the hassles created by non biodegradable products and encourage people to reduce use of such stuff."

The Ashram also sells recycled paper. Waste paper is collected from the Shimla secretariat, taken around the corner to their workshop, recycled and returned. Some of it is finally retained at their shop in Delhi. They accept orders for envelopes, bags and posters.

Dikshit’s organisation runs on a "no profit, no loss basis" but their activities might provide a neat profit to the Shimla Municipal Corporation. Last year the Jan Sewa Ashram signed a memorandum of understanding with them to clean up Shimla city.

"After meeting expenses, we hope to provide the Corporation with a profit of Rs 10 lakh every year," says Dikshit.

The Ashram’s partnership with Shimla Municipal Corporation will hopefully bring in money and provide a cleaner environment for the citizens of this burgeoning hill station.   q