Rakhi from biodegradable materials

Bhubaneswar: Rakhi is here again and one could see varieties of environment-friendly rakhi available in the market like palm leaf rakhi, jute rakhi, seed rakhi, terracotta rakhi, and sabai grass rakhi among others. 

Bhubaneswar-based fashion designer Choudhury Jyoshna Das has been making eco-friendly rakhi since 2021.

While in 2021, she used jute to prepare eco-friendly rakhis, this year she used palm leaf and sambalpuri fabrics.

Sharing about the concept she said, “I started making eco-friendly jute rakhi in 2021. Most of the rakhis available in the market contain non-biodegradable materials which never get disposed of. To reduce plastic waste on Rakhi we thought to give buyers an option to go environment friendly.”

She has been receiving an overwhelming response from buyers. “The feedback has been good from everyone in Odisha. People in Odisha loved the idea of palm leaf engraving rakhi. However, people outside Odisha don’t understand the concept of palm leaf rakhi,” she shared.

They have been providing a gift hamper which comprises rakhi, bhabhi rakhi diya, rice and tika, and chocolates.

The bhabhi rakhi is made with sambalpuri, she added.

Bakul Foundation which has been running the ‘Green Rakhi Campaign’ for the past five years. This year also the organisation is promoting gifting a plant under the ‘Give a gift that grows’ and seed rakhi.

There are various of options of seed rakhis containing seeds of basil, spinach, arbi, beans, Ixora among others.

The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) launched seed rakhis to promote the eco-friendly celebration. In an outlet at Cuttack railway station these rakhis are sold for Rs 20 to Rs 30.

Around 80 women of three Producer Groups (PGs) of Damapada block were engaged to make the rakhis from biodegradable materials like cane and bamboo designed with seeds, rice, and food grains having threads made of jute fiber.