Award-winning plastic recycling artist Sudarma Seneviratne urges SL to aesthetically recycle

We feature below a discussion with Hatton-based sustainability focused handicraft specialist, Sudarma Seneviratne (P.A.D. Sudarma Sudanasheeli). She is a national award winner for her transformation of recycled plastic through crochet. A handbag made through crochet (using the single crochet needle) recreating strips of used shopping (sili sili bags), won 2nd place from the Central Province last year at the “Shilpa Abhimani” Presidential Handicraft Awards. 

Below is the interview carried out with her, aimed at creating public awareness on minimising non biodegradable trash through creative recycling.

Plastic recycling crochet artiste Sudarma Seneviratne (left) at a plastic reuse workshop held on 08 March at the Nuwara Eliya Public Library under the theme Thinking Sri Lanka

The bag made from waste plastic through  crochet which was awarded 2nd place from the Central Province at the Shilpa Abhimani 2024

Purses from waste plastic

Table mats from waste plastic

By the Harmony Page team 

Q:  How did you get into crochet and knitting with plastic?

A: As a child I learnt knitting from my grandmother and have knitted with wool using two needles as well as the crochet single needle. Throughout my life I used to spend long hours on these as a kind of artistic meditation. 

About 20 years ago, when confronted with the increasing amount of plastic shopping bags at home, I started experimenting with separating the bags according to their colours, cutting them up into strips and using them in crochet, mixing up the colours aesthetically. I first started making smaller items such as table mats for coffee and tea cups and later began creating table runners as well as flask carriers and larger designer types of handbags. 

Q: Do you sell them?

A: No. I used to give them as gifts. My calling I believe is to train and influence others to create similar items.

Q: Apart from the capacity building program carried out last Saturday at the Nuwara Eliya Public Library on recreating plastic through crochet have you conducted similar programs?

A: Yes. I have worked several times previously with the Nuwara Eliya Public Library on training their readers on how one can knit and crochet different craft items with plastic strips. 

Q: Is it only smaller plastic bags that could be used when recycling for knitting and crochet or can bigger plastic bags be recreated as well?

A: It depends on how narrowly we can cut up the bag. I usually use the smaller sili sili bags where the strips can be about a width of an inch. One can also knit with two needles as done with wool and knit the bigger plastic strips more easily. There are many other ways one can innovatively reuse plastic for sustainability. One can plait the plastic strips, ideally using bigger shopping bags and sew them up together to create items such as bathroom floor mats, table runners and bags. 

Q: Can we think of an elaborate list of artistic items that could be fashioned with knitting or crochet of plastic?

A: Of course. Let’s see. With the smaller plastic bag strips one can knit or crochet small booties for babies, long strips of plastic crochet could be fixed onto clothing designs akin to lace, and if properly planned, waistcoats, jackets and stylistic scarves can be made. I have not tried working on these items but it is possible. 

Q: So you are saying that one can create an entire fashion label out of knitted plastic shopping bags?

A: Yes. 

Q: When you crochet do you use any new plastic bags or used ones that would otherwise be thrown into garbage pits?

A: I crochet and knit solely with used plastic bags in my house. The reason why I started to do this is to reduce the domestic plastic waste in my household. It is my fervent wish that others follow suit. 

Q: How can the tourism industry use recycled plastic crochet or knitted products?

A: Plastic can be reused in many ways and especially for the tourism industry. I can speak mainly on crochet items. Bed covers could be fashioned out of plastic strips. One can knit or crochet plant bags/covers – this could replace pots. Knitting or using crochet as if one would for a cap, we could create several sizes of plant covers and put the soil directly in. I am planning to try this out soon. Since crochet and knitting is very secure there is no possibility of the soil dropping out and the water retention is moderate and healthy for the plants. Alternatively, it is possible to crochet strips with different coloured plastic shopping bags and cover the clay or plastic pots with it. This could also be done in the case of the recycled flower pots made in the recycling plant at Sandathenne (Moon Plains) in the Nuwara Eliya district. 

Q: Can even large floor carpets which are generally used for warmth in cold areas such as Nuwara Eliya be knitted out from plastic?

A: Yes.

Q: What would be the economic value of such products? 

A: For the bag created by me through plastic based crochet the monetary value affixed was Rs. 2,000 by the panel which selected it as a 2nd place winning entry last year. This amount is what one would pay for the purchase of a new bag from a shop. Therefore, I presume that whether one speaks of a plastic artistically recycled carpet or any similar product that it will be assessed for its utility/sustainability.

Q: Has your aim as a housewife been to achieve a zero garbage status?

A: Throughout my life I have cooked only as much as needed to avoid waste and used any cut up vegetables and fruit skins, etc., as compost. Most smaller items that can be changed and re-used such as toothpaste covers or plastic biscuit covers I have tried to cut up as book marks. Speaking of book marks, I have received a request from the Nuwara Eliya and Hatton Public libraries to train their readers to crochet bookmarks using waste plastic. 

Q: Thank you Mrs. Sudarma Seneviratne. We at the Harmony page learnt a lot from you and look forward to engaging with you in our bid to support the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. 

A: Yes. Let us hope that as we promote credible sustainability that it will clean up our minds, our homes, our streets and our country.