Can Crafts be Zero waste?

“Technically, in today’s world, nothing humans do is fully zero waste; unless we are to follow the indigenous lifestyles that too from pre- industrial age. ”

— Ponderings while designing projects

Since the last few years, we have been celebrating National crafts month with various themes, like- Traditional Crafts, Crafts and Folklore, Art with Museums.

Though we have always been mindful about sustainable methods and materials, this year the theme itself was Recycled Crafts for health of Water. It wasn't a novel activity but definitely a sincere effort to cut down our waste or in a wider sense, our carbon footprint, Water footprint. (Yes, Water footprint is a thing!)

So were our Crafts a Zero waste activity? Let's check and discuss at the end…. 

A Paper recycling Tutorial designed for repurposed Handmades. More about our craft projects on the picture link.

“Forget the more contaminating sectors of present times, the Art market by itself can make a big difference if we acknowledge the need to be ecologically alert and environmentally inclusive by tethinking MATERIALS- ‘what’ and ‘how much’”

— Ponderings while designing projects

Technically, in today's world, nothing humans do is fully zero waste; unless we are to follow the  indigenous lifestyles that too from pre- industrial age.

What does Zero waste actually mean? 

No thrashable waste created? No new materials used?  No harmful by products created? All of the above? None of the above?

A Paper Mache (truncated) Tutorial designed using magazine papers, and flour glue, (almost Zero waste) but also Re-used cleaned cut plastic bag for covering and bowl as base.

Many web pages have tried to explain Zero Waste (some have the website by that very name too but one can see a huge carbon footprint in their promotional events)

There are also many well formulated examples on net, one of them i could resonate with-

" Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health."

- under the name of EPA website 

Whats important is how and how much of what we know and talk, can we put in action. 

Materials used for the Language-Arts workshops during SAALC workshop at the Siebel Center for Designing- Reused papers, (magazine papers, Cardboards pieces, punch machine colored waste) glue, discarded yarn. This was not a fully zero waste for use of gel pens. but most other material, though clean, would have gone directly to landfill. Any efforts add up?!

We are thankful to AACC UIUC for a chance to share our project during their conference.

Forget the more contaminating sectors of present times, the Art market by itself can make a big difference if we acknowledge the need to be ecologically alert and environmentally inclusive by rethinking MATERIALS. Especially short term Recreational Art activities for kids, fancy art camps that use pompoms, sparkles, stickers, in overflowing quantities. Do we need these to beautify? Some might say- Yes. Can we avoid it and still create beauty? -?

#RETHINKMATERIAL- What, How Much

Prep material for making ‘Worry Doll’ for a birthday party.

We made worry dolls 7 years ago for our first Craft Month celebration. In those learning stages, we had used Pipe cleaners fro our base sticks. Pipe cleaners are so convenient, cheap and fancy looking! But guess how many plastic microfibers it contains? This year we use not just all Recycled material but most of it was compostable. Yet it was not Zero Waste as the donated fabric pieces might contain polyesters, the donated yarn might not be wool but acrylic.

A Worry doll made by Audrey Chan with the materials provided.

All the picture sequences here are from this year's creative projects that mainly ran through March (National Crafts Month) and April (Earth Day Month).

When it comes to Climate/ Atmosphere/ Land/ Water/ Air, there are no borders, The Butterfly effect is real. Whatever I do or not do affects the Whole. Its not a philosophy neither rocket science. But to realize the effects of choices we make, needs a bit of mindfulness, a bit of slowing down to be able to see what I do and what are its consequences, not with a self interest myopic eyes but open with heart for all that exists.

Paper flowers made from outdated fliers. Clean Repurposed bottles were used for creating paper vase and discarded Fabric pieces and magazine papers for decorations.

After the paper flyers were done the left over paper cuttings looked so colorful, we saved then for next time’s raw materials while having fun creating designs with the Re-re-Cycled bits of Papers

A poster for Teacher’s appreciation used hearts. When more hearts were needed we suggested using magazine papers for background color and plain center made with worksheets (other side plain). Thought it was partly a recycled project, now the idea will hopefully stay and grow for their future projects, like the flowers ‘made with Hearts’

Raw material for Papers don’t always come from where it is used, Paper is taking a toll on our forests and wildlife. I thought it was very symbolic to click that Tiger on opposite page.

A Pencil holder made from glass bottle and card made from discarded papers exhibited fro Boneyard fest. We are thankful to Planted for making us a part of their Boneyard 2023 venue.

Though the glass bottle was reused, it was painted using acrylic colors. That would make it useless for reuse plus acrylic paints are Not eco-friendly. As per Artsy.net-

“Propylene glycol, for example, is safe enough for use in the food and cosmetic industry, but has a disastrous effect in aquatic environments, meaning that pouring acrylic waste water down the drain is damaging to waterways.”

We are thankful to Planted for making us a part of their Boneyard 2023 venue.

Its not craft but part of my Yard designing multiyear project. The corner of lawn was dug up to make it bio diverse. after couple of years it is taking shape. The yellow flowers belong to Wood Sorrel, considered as weeds where I stay, but we use it in salads and just pop in mouth while gardening! Just for fun, if u are still reading this, any idea what other plants are seen here?!

In Nature there is always Zero waste. everything is re-cycle, regeneration. no issues with manicured lawns but the sprays needed for non-native green cover comes with its own toll on local waters and atmosphere as a whole.

As I am trying to write this on my deck, someone in next yard started the lawn mover and disturbed the birds songs. but their lawns are more leveled up, greener and cleaner than mine.

Creating Greener ‘Egg Hunt’ by Anuvaa Joshi, her family and community members.

”For the second year in a row, we successfully hosted a plastic-free egg hunt, but it wasn't without its challenges. Our biggest hurdle was figuring out how to collect all the eggs for recycling, but we came up with a fun solution. We created "egg catcher stations" and games for the kids to use, which turned the hunt into a game-like event that they loved” Thanks to Mrs Shilpa Deshpande for sharing their inspiring works.

Repurposed Christmas Tree bird cover project. by Paige Sigmund and her Dad, Del Sigmund.

Talking about the project, some excerpts from Del, “The branches relax down and once again the evergreen becomes an excellent tree/bush for small birds to use for cover…It is a fun project that looked very nice when done and was good for wildlife too’

Traditional Festivals and Celebrations create a residue that can increase a group’s waste by multiple time in just one event. By changing our outlook towards festivals and focusing on their true essence might be more helpful moving forward.

Diary making activity for Earthday 2023. We offered Notebook papers and magazine/ flier papers to create Notepads. thought non of it created any new demand on Paper production, the projects when done might not be Zero Waste, and that’s not because of what we did but what the companies did when they created the magazines. even the most basic magazines are plastic coated papers these days making it hard for the paper to decompose easily. It adds to the plastic waste and then there are chemicalized ink eventually sipping into our waters.

We are thankful to Urbana Park District for for including us in their EDE event.

So,

which project seems closes to Zero waste? Which is furthest from it? why?

Which products will most contaminate the land? which ones will pollute our Waters?

Even if one wants to, It is not easy to go completely green depending on where you are based. The system dictates the laws and in some measures our life styles.

As someone once said- with what we have, where we are we should do what we can.

Hope I have not come across as opposing art activities. It was an effort to share better ways of handling our materials tools and natural resources while encouraging creativity Sustainably

Efforts/ actions are individual that can turn into collective but results will always be communal- for good or bad of all.