Why e-Waste? Turn it into e-Art!

THERE’S BEAUTY HIDDEN IN A DISCARDED CHIP AND EVEN IN A USED BATTERY, YOU JUST NEED TO SEE IT THE RIGHT WAY

In this technologydriven world, use-and-throw has become a way of living, with the lifespans of gadgets getting shorter, and piles of e-waste getting larger. India stands in an unenviable fifth position with regard to generation of electronic waste. At this time when environmental and health problem are garnering a lot of attention, the creative reuse of e-waste is something that will appeal to not only aesthetic sensibilities but also to ecological ones.

It was against this background that R Durga Prasad from Neyveli, a passionate collector of the cute and the unusual from childhood, decided to try his hand at converting e-trash to treasure. He has succeeded brilliantly.

On a visit to a toy shop, Durga suddenly realised how expensive toys were, and decided to try his hands at making them himself. He not only fashioned his own toys, but gifted them to friends too. Grown up now, Durga’s work at Exide Industries Limited as a service engineer brings him in contact with a lot of ewaste such as chips, diodes, computer RAMs old batteries etc. Fired by the constant desire to do something ‘different’, he decided to upcycle this waste into useful items.His first ‘product’ was a keychain made out of a chip. While participating as a crew member at an Art Flea Market in Bangalore in October 2019, his perspective on e-waste art widened. He began making bookmarks, fridge magnets, ebotz and even amini generator. He is currently working on a clock made out of bike parts. Friends and family have been a huge support and encouragement to him.

Durga Prasadis dedicated to educating people on proper e-waste management. Recycling is the answer, according to him. He conducted a workshop on 10th

January, 2020, in collaboration with The Kindness Project, an NGO, where children were taught the importance of e-waste management and how to make e-art. The response was huge.

Durga Prasad can be contacted at 7598288522