Upcycling Expands in the Community
Here at Amrita Virtual Academy, we are always so excited to see positive change in the community, especially when the principles of our courses—love, knowledge, evolution, service & sustainability— radiate out into the world. Here are some amazing local community updates, inspired by Meenamba’s Amrita Upcycling projects.
At Amrita University, Amritapuri campus, located just across the bridge from Amma’s Amritapuri ashram, there was a special week from November 15-20, 2025 to support Women’s Empowerment. At that time, eleven Computer Science & Engineering students successfully connected with a local women’s tailoring unit—a self-help group supporting local women—to support their artisan handicrafts businesses.
To incorporate an ecological focus into the project, a meeting was held to find reusable materials within the university that could be upcycled. This provided participating women with free resources while also minimizing waste. A solid plan for the regular collection of the selected materials—coffee bags, standard uniforms, lab coats, college lanyards, and old umbrellas—was put in place.
Students supported not only the creation of the goods, but also helped in promoting the artisanal handicrafts across the Amrita University campus. Amrita students designed and displayed promotional posters, boosting the local women’s visibility and expanding their customer base.
The students also connected with Meenamba, the Amrita Virtual Academy instructor also known as the “Plastic Woman,” who shared her knowledge on upcycling, environmental responsibility, and purposeful living. After seeing her handmade upcycled products, the students committed to starting their own collection drive, beginning with old umbrellas, to support similar projects. This valuable experience highlighted the significance of sustainable practices, social responsibility, and community engagement for the students.
Inspired by Meenamba, Amrita University’s campus also launched another sustainability initiative, focused on collecting empty Coffee Day packets from canteens both on and near the Amritapuri campus. This provides essential raw materials for the local women artisans involved in upcycling projects.
A collection system was established in three campus canteens between November 19 and November 26, 2025. Now operational, volunteers maintain a consistent supply of the raw material through weekly collections. These discarded packets are transformed by the artisans into functional, eco-friendly products.
Beyond reducing campus waste, this effort reinforces Amma’s vision and commitment to empowering women through sustainable livelihoods and responsible production.
And aren’t the purses so cute?
Finally, there was one other notable event during the November 15–20, 2025 Women’s Empowerment week. The Amrita Upcycling Project held a two-day hands-on workshop in Amritapuri to teach participants how to convert everyday waste into functional, eco-friendly products. Two tailoring students learned to craft upcycled pouches from materials like broken umbrella fabric and discarded snack packets. The training emphasized waste reduction and responsible resource use, encouraging participants to identify and creatively reuse plastic items from their own homes. This initiative strengthens local women’s sustainable livelihood capacity and fosters environmental awareness. It also expands the Amrita Upcycling movement as a whole.
We are so proud of everyone involved!
If you would like to join the movement and learn how to make your own tote bag out of recycled materials, you can do so here.
This article is derived from an Amrita University press release, available here: https://www.amrita.edu/news/november-2025-highlights-f1rom-the-women-empowerment-project/