Not tinsel, but sarees: How a city church turns waste into wonder

Bengaluru: A 25-foot eco-friendly Christmas tree made from old and torn sarees has been installed at the Primrose Mar Thoma Church, continuing its commitment to sustainable festive celebrations.

Created by members of the church choir, the tree has discarded sarees collected from church members and fixed onto metal wire frames of varying sizes.

The initiative seeks to spread awareness that festive decorations can be made using locally available ecofriendly material that often lie unused in homes.

What began in 2008 as an experiment at the church has since become a tradition.

That year, plastic bottles and old tyres were used to create the Christmas tree. In subsequent years, video tapes and plastic bags in 2009, dry vegetables and grass in 2010, jacquard loom cards in 2011, newspapers in 2012, used plastic covers in 2013, soft drink bottles in 2014, and cloth scraps from tailors and garment units in 2015 were used.

In recent years, the church has used straw and coconut shells in 2017, shredded paper from a printing unit in 2019, reject material from a furniture edge banding tape manufacturer in 2020, aluminium foil, carton boxes and newspapers in 2021, and bamboo strips in 2022.

On some occasions, the church has also collaborated with industries that donated waste material for the Christmas tree to reinforce the message of responsible consumption and recycling.