Save The Landfill
Save Fabric Scrap

Saved 12,500 kgs as of May 2024.

Join Our Save, Scrap, and Sew Buddies

Volunteer Your Time ☑
Practice Your Compassion ☑
Experience Gratitude ☑

Save The Landfill
Save Fabric Scrap

Saved 12,500 kgs as of May 2024.

Join Our Save, Scrap, and Sew Buddies

Volunteer Your Time ☑
Practice Your Compassion ☑
Experience Gratitude ☑
Home » Save, Scrap & Sew » Our Volunteer Journey

2

K+
Happy Volunteers

Preventing Fabric Waste From Reaching the Landfill

Save Scrap & Sew collects fabric scrap from tailors to create utility items, like sheets, bags, and pillows. Our buddies help through the process, from collecting to sorting, cutting, ironing, and sewing the scraps into usable items.

Upon completion, we immediately send it out to deserving individuals and institutions. We aim to have no delay or hoarding, and our buddies share the gratitude and acknowledgement of the smiles and comfort they are helping create. 

If you’d like to be an SSS buddy, use the contact form to express your interest. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to sew. As long as you can sort, iron, measure, cut and are willing to learn we can teach you how to sew. It’s a great life skill too!

Items Made by Buddies Are Not for Sale.

Save, Scrap, and Sew

Impact in Numbers

3700

+
Sheets

5700

+
Bags

5700

+
Pillows

300

+
Dresses

200

+
Scarves

12500

= Fabric Scrap Saved (Kgs)

Photo Gallery

Save, Scrap, and Sew: The Saga

Life, conventionally, has three necessities: food, shelter, and clothing. 

These are also the three foci of charitable & eco-friendly initiatives. That said, not much consideration is given to clothing, & almost none when it comes to textile scrap. 

Save, Scrap, and Sew started in June 2015, when Dr. Shambavi, while on a call at her usual tailor shop observed the tailor stepping out with two large garbage bags stuffed with fabric scrap. Call done, she enquired to learn that the tailor was throwing them into the nearby garbage dump.

Suddenly, she realized most dressmakers and tailors discard fabric scrap after tailoring a dress. This is because the scraps vary in shades, colors, and sizes, rendering them unusable for their requirements. These scraps also occupy space, require time to be processed to rework it, and offer no revenue return; making discarding them the only option. 

This is where Dr. Shambavi’s love for sewing comes in. As a hobby seamstress, she has long enjoyed the relaxed, stress-busting nature of sewing amidst her busy schedule. She also likes to stitch personal gifts for her near and dear ones.

Her love of the hobby and the environment, along with her recognition of the problem in the community, resulted in a small effort to save these scraps, stitch them into useful and usable items, and gift them to people in need Save, Scrap, and Sew was born. The SSS initiative started with a group of ladies, working with 5 kgs of fabric scrap from one tailor, and has today saved over 12,500kgs of fabric scrap.

Dr. Shambavi later received an invite from a group of ladies in Bur Dubai, to demonstrate the Save Scrap & Sew initiative. What followed was many new buddies joining the cause. By uniting people across various groups, schools, universities, and even countries in her mission, Dr. Shambavi and the team contribute to the environment by reducing carbon footprints, reducing land and air pollution as the only other alternative would be to incinerate this fabric which is mixed with non-recyclable items in the landfill causing pollution in the process.

Save, Scrap, and Sew activities also provide instant gratification by creating tangible, usable items. The exercise of sorting, cutting, ironing, and sewing utility from scrap, has no gender or age barrier. All it needs is intent and two hours, once a week of your time. 

The best part of the whole project is that it involves teamwork and cannot be accomplished by one individual. This can also lead to deeper friendships and help familial bonds as has been demonstrated by the corporate and family events held under the auspices of SSS.

Save, Scrap, and Sew: Distribution Details

DATE 

DISTRIBUTED BY

RECEIVED BY

   SHEETS   

    BAGS    

PILLOWS

SCARVES

17/04/2022

Chandrika Kamath

Old Age Home run by Assisi Bhavan

10

14/04/2022

SSS Bangalore Buddies

Bharathiya Grameena Mahila Sangh

11

2

3

14/09/2022

Jyothi Ramesh

Pakistan Association

35

02/01/2023

Shambavi

Smart life Labour Camp

29

140

115

25

20/07/2023

Shambavi

Smart life Labour Camp

58

83

132

31/10/2023

Drishti

Palestine refugees

20

40

28/12/2023

Jyothi Ramesh

Borivili National Park Mumbai

10

28/12/2023

Jyothi Ramesh

AL Khan Fishermen community

4

13/04/2024

Chandrika Kamath

Old Age Home run by Assisi Bhavan

30

31/07/2024

Bangalore Buddies

Association for Promoting Social Action

8

5

17

15/10/2024

Shambavi Rajagopal

Al Serkal Avenue (Lebanon Collection Drive)

68

101

26/10/2024

Bangalore Buddies

Maid’s Grand Daughter

3

TOTAL

 

 

283

371

270

25

DATE 

DISTRIBUTED BY

RECEIVED BY

   SHEETS   

    BAGS    

PILLOWS

SCARVES

09/03/2021

Construction Workers

Khalifa Street construction site,

Abudhabi.

12

47

 

12/04/2021

Construction Workers

Khalifa Street construction site,

Abudhabi

  6

13

23

 

01/05/2021

Meenakshi

Hamdan Street Abudhabi

9

6

          –

04/05/2021

Construction Workers

Khalifa Street construction site,

Abudhabi

4

12

103

 

04/05/2021

Shambavi

Red Crescent

65

133

200

 

28/11/2021

Shambavi

Red Crescent

43

150

60

34

TOTAL

 

 

19

43

173

         34

  DATE  
DISTRIBUTED BY
RECEIVED BY
  SHEETS  
    BAGS   
PILLOWS
CUSHIONSCARVES
05/01/2020Brig Ramanan To needy people in Mhow8
21/01/2020 
Shambavi Red Crescent Dubai   549
10/02/2020Sarita

Government Primary School

In Dwaraka

1030
10/02/2020Khalifa Street BuddiesNearby Construction site31
12/03/2020 Shambavi Red Crescent Dubai679317
03/10/2020Khalifa Street Buddies Construction Site133210
25/10/2020Shambavi  Red Crescent Dubai 62532
TOTAL  241208410226
DATE        
DISTRIBUTED BY
RECEIVED BY
    SHEETS    
     BAGS     
PILLOWS
01/01/2019GirijaMatru Manovikas Kendra Bangalore 50
13/01/2019Gita DattattriAnbagam17
26/01/2019Gowri VValady primary School Tiruchy25
06/02/2019Navaneeta/Geeta VAssisi Bhawan Old Age home3527
07/02/2019ShambaviRed Crescent30
10/02/2019Bharathi PaiVishvakirti Primary School,Udupi Karnataka55
16/02/2019Geeta VasudevanElizabeth Convent Vasai Mumbai11527
26/03/2019Silky/Leena/SheelaQusais construction site40
07/04/2019GarimaMadhav Baal Niketan Gwalior MP17
07/04/2019GarimaRobin hood Army managed slums32
15-18/04/19Abudhabi buddies@construction sites AL Reem220
21/05/2019ShambaviMr. Venkat for Mr. Srini Tranquil Charity133
21/05/2019ShambaviMohammad Kamal48
02/06/2019Sanjana ,GoolDeira construction site50
24/06/2019VidyaKaliyuva Mane School, Karnataka40
29/06/2019Gita Dattatri Rotary Club of Chennai towers20
22/07/2019Shambavi Emirates Red Crescent Dubai70
25/07/2019Qusais buddiesconstruction Site in Al Qusais Dubai.150
18/08/2019JyotiRasulgarh colony, MP old sge home Odisha38
03/09/2019 Aahanaconstruction site of Khalifa street10
13/10/2019Abudhabi buddiesdistributed to workers at Kalifa Street park42
31/10/2019ShambaviRed Crescent3220525
31/10/2019Bhagat Pooran Singh PingalwaraAmritsar6610
20/11/2019Abudhabi buddiesKalifa Street construction site65
28/11/2019Sandhya Kiranasenior citizens57
28/11/2019Bangalore buddiesAPSA- association promoting social cause1212
17/12/2019Geeta Vasudevancancer patients aid association1764
21/12/2019Sai Mrs . Jhansi Premanand, Hyd50
30/12/2019Shabiya11 buddiesMussafah, Abudhabi2415
31/12/2019NininOrphanage in hyderabad100
TOTAL   416701757
   DATE            
DISTRIBUTED BY
RECEIVED BY
     SHEETS     
      BAGS      
  PILLOWS  
   SCARVES   

07/01/2018

 

BettyKarunalayam Old age home20
07/01/2018BettyJaney center Special Needs Education4   
20/01/2018GayathriSri Sathya Narayana Charitable Trust34 4 
25/01/2018ShambaviMohammad Kamal Red Crescent30   
08/02/2018ShambaviSatish Iyer  Site near Dubai Creek Harbour  138 
02/03/2018JyothiArunodayam , Kolathur ,Chennai11   
04/03/2018ShorouqJordan street cleaners10   
12/03/2018PremaNari Mukti sanghatan 45  
18/03/2018Anwesha Discovery &SMJ buddies to metro workers  32 
19/03/2018Mamatha Belaku Vatsalya Dham Mysore10   
01/04/2018EswariPonneri & Anbu Illam 45  
02/04/2018Jothi Vinod husbandKhansaheb Palm Jumeira   30 
02/04/2018Abudhabi buddiesConstruction workers  58 
04/04/2018MamathaMakkala Mane Mysore15   
15/04/2018ShambaviEmirates Red Crescent 66   
29/04/2018Shanthi ,SangeethaMahesh Memorial Paediatric Oncology center  42 
21/06/2018ShambaviRed Crescent55   
26/06/2018JSS Pvt School( Gwen)Al quoz workers  70 
28/06/2018Renuka M&M buddiesHassyan Caoal Project Site   410 
10/07/2018Qusais buddies-SumaConstruction site Qusais  30 
24/07/2018SujataBu Haleeba Muhasinah  70 
24/07/2018Kamal Prabh Aasra Chandigarh India2525  
24/07/2018MeenaS/Gita DAnjugam School Chennai1030  
06/08/2018ShambaviSignal Shala Mumbai237  
10/08/2018SumaOld Age Home Kerala1010  
16/08/2018Pavithra ReddyAmma Old Age Home  Bowenpally,Secunderabad14   
20/08/2018Nirmala IyerSlum School Delhi 50  
20/8/2018ShambaviBiju Kaimal- Kerala floods82   
11/09/2018Lakshmi RamachandranVivekodayam Vidya Mandir 82 12
20/09/2018Jyothi RameshThe Bombay Mothers & Children Welfare Society 28  
20/09/2018Jyothi RameshBalwadi Bangalore2130  
20/09/2018Jyoti RameshChildren’s Cancer Hospital/Upasika  36 
15/10/2018Nisha BennyOrissa tribal school35   
03/11/2018Suja Bu Haleeba Muhasinah  68 
29/11/2018ShambaviRed Crescent 6665  
25/12/2018MonikaJodhpur slum 12   
31/12/2018PriyaAroma International Jumeirah 1  105 
Total   553417109312
      DATE          
DISTRIBUTED BY
RECEIVED BY
   SHEETS  
     BAGS     
PILLOWS
   DRESS   
  SCARVES  
12/01/2017SaretaAbudhabi40
13/01/2017Anitha -Chef

Shri Sharda Educational Trust Chord

Hospital Road Basaweshwara Nagar 

12
14/01/2017Shambavi- JovinAfrica100
21/01/2017Thylambal Ramamoorthy

Anbu Malar Udal Unamuttror Samuga Nalavalvu Home

16
22/01/2017Shambavi-Mohammad KamalEmirates Red Crescent352121
06/02/2017Anagha-Anaghas motherShanti Bhavan Charitable Trust,Mumbai2019
07/02/2017Vijaya Kumar- Shanthi SeshadriCorporation School-RA Puram Chennai105
08/02/2017SSS buddies GCC -site Bur Dubai130
10/02/2017Renuka-AparajitaChild in Need,Kolkotta13117
24/02/2017Shambavi- RamaNaeyam Foundation28
30/03/2017Richa JaiswalSignal Shala Thana,Mumbai3030
30/03/2017Richa JaiswalJJ dharamshala Byculla1065
30/03/2017Shambavi- Mr VenkatRed Crescent- Syrian refugees23
18/04/2017Radha Hari Mulund slums mumbai58
03/05/2017VasantiJLT construction site30
05/05/2017Shambavi/Sarita Navin Balgrah Girls home Mumbai25
10/05/2017Shambavi/SaritaJyot bahudeshy samajik sansthan50
22/05/2017ShambaviKantar 76525
23/05/2017Mala DevrajanSunbeam child fund association BLR25
27/05/2017Audrey & RituInternational city66
10/06/2017Afshan Barsha & Furjan340
10/06/2017ShambaviAl Twar50
11/06/2016SimiAl Furjan50
13/06/2017MalaChild Fund association Bangalore194110 stoles
04/07/2017Vijaya SukumarDurga Devi Sharma Marathi school Mumbai120
11/07/02017ShambaviAl twar10
14/07/2017AnaghaGorai
25/07/2017ShambaviRamakrishna Mission student home chennai27
17/08/2017Nisha Varghese’s MomMolly Koshi Rural Progressive development center Kochi15
17/08/2017
Audrey/Esmod DubaiThe Home for Aged and Handicapped Nagpur37
18/08/2017

Mamatha

Makkal Mane Mysore20
10/09/2017Renuka/NickyHeartlands Baby Sanctuary South Africa43
24/09/2017Thylambal RamamoorthyAnbalayam Coimbatore45
24/09/2017Thylambal RamamoorthyUdavaum Karangal Coimbatore29
25/09/2017Vasanti Rajan BabuSRPJ Kanyashala Mumbai55
26/09/2017Vasanti Rajan BabuAdharvad Niradhar va Apang mahila trust25
26/09/2017
Vasanti Rajan BabuSome needy people3
12/10/2017ShambaviEmirates Red Crescent362214
24/11/2017AmritParikrama Humanity-Bangalore10
04/12/2017Madhuri MallaDiscovery Garden200
10/12/2017Jyoti VishalChildren’s Home of Hope.1646
15/12/2017RenukaNicky-School in SA11
20/12/2017ManaliRag Pickers Ahmedabad10
26/12/2017Meena S.Open Arms /Red Crescent Labour camp Dubai30
30/12/2017Sareta3 Construction sites Abudhabi50
TOTAL  41499199111631

      DATE           

DISTRIBUTED BY

RECEIVED BY

     SHEETS    

     BAGS    

 P ILLOWS  

DRESS

SCARVES

15/02/16

Seena

Orphanage in Kerala

1

12

18/02/16

 Shambavi –

Venkat Pencil Man

38

21/02/16

Shambavi- SNF

SNF

5

5

25/02/16

 Rama Malar

Chennai Pallative care Home

7

08/03/16

 Sarah Derbas

Ajman

5

7

08/03/16

Manjula

Smartlife

1

20

18/03/16

PRERNA- Mohan

 

3

18/03/16

Renuka Venkat

South Africa Through Mike

10

18/03/16

Prema Venkat

Support group Mumbai

3

4

22/03/16

Sitalakshmi Ramanan

Blue collar workers

11

5

13/04/16

Manjula

Smart Idol

10

40

26/05/16

Roopa Shankar

Tranquil Centre

41

28/05/16

Jumana Majeed

Sri Lanka

38

30

7

7Skirts

07/06/16

Shambavi

Construction Site Rashidiya

336

07/06/16

Shambavi From Barbara

Construction workers

32

21/06/16

Afshaan Ahmed

Construction Workers Barsha 

100+20

22/06/16

Haani al Qayoum 

Vogue from Waste

13skirts+7tops+1frock

25/06/16

Renuka

Construction workers

7

30/06/16

Qusais buddies

Construction workers Qusais

170

30/06/16

Roopa Shankar

Tranquil centre

44

05/07/16

Bur Dubai buddies

Construction workers

72

09/07/16

Bur Dubai Karama buddies

Karama

20

16/07/16

Kripa

Sharjah construction site

25

18/07/16

AnaMaria & Barbara

DIP construction site

100

19/07/16

Priya Venkatsubramanian

Mumbai Slums

12

12

19/07/16

Monalisa Bhowmick

Ashriya,Pune

20

28/07/16

Anitha Vinesh

Old age home Palakad

2

10

29/07/16

Renuka Venkat

South Africa Through Mike

6

27 hand /leg warmers

30/07/16

Badar

National School Bandra, Mumbai

27

1/08/16

Shambavi

Beggars in Mhow

5

2/08/16

Anagha&her mother

Sunshine Divya jothi Ashram&

Ashray Akruti foundation

45

4/08/16

Renuka Venkat

Bangladeshi worker

4

4/08/16

Renuka Venkat

South Africa Through Mike

25

32 hand/leg warmers

6/08/16

Prema Venkat

Erode

21

9/08/16

Rama Malar

Hindu Mission Hospital

15

13/08/16

Renuka V+Geeta V

Construction site Meydan

130

15/08/16

Saba Ansari

Community Welfare School Lucknow

41

15/08/16

Kamini Kannan

Underprivileged School in Delhi

30

26/08/16

Bindu Vishwanath

Deaf & Dumb School Wadala

5

31/08/16

Aparna Prashant

Jeevan Deep Kusht Ashram

(Leprosy center)

4

1/09/16

Swarna Ramanan

Needy person

1

1

3/09/16

Kripa Hariharan

Sharjah construction site

45

8/09/16

Shambavi

Construction site near EIS Safa

7

8/09/16

Srinivasan 

Tranquil center

16

44 skirts

44

13/09/16

Shambavi

Sr. Valentina’s Little Heaven

6

41

14/09/16

Lalitha Sreeram

Sahaj Vidyalaya AP

60

26/09/16

Qusais buddies

Construction workers

170

26/09/16

Shambavi

Nizhal trust,Coimbatore

20

26/09/16 

Shambavi

Abhaya Trust Coimbatore

25

26/09/16

Shambavi

Don Bosco -MAD Coimbatore

4

27/10/16

Divya Karmarkar

Dream Foundation

15

29/10/16

Furjan Discovery buddies

Municipality workers

58

12/11/16

Jayanthi Gopi Rotary Chennai

Anbagam- Old age home Chennai

15

16/11/16

Shambavi

Missionaries of Charity-Shillong

50

21/11/16

Aparajita Mishra/ Renuka Venkat

Dharavi Rockers

14

24/11/16

Sharjah Buddies and Kripa

Al Tawuun site, Novotel.

62

26/11/16

Shambavi /Dr. Munju

Sai Seva Trust, Sri Rangapattanam

47

17

27

27/11/16

Usha/Venkat Pencil man 

Srini/ Tranquil center

7backdrop

22

1pouch ,27 dresses

1

28/11/16

Renuka Venkat

Aparajita- Zanzibar 

15

10

30/11/16

Anita Vinesh

Matru trust Bangalore

16

7/12/16

Jaysri Pisharody

Sumangali Sewa Ashram Hebbal Blr

47

12/12/16

Anitha/The GRAMAM Thane team 

Adivasi chirroti

50

TOTAL

  

233

793

1,378

191

169

      DATE           

DISTRIBUTED BY

RECEIVED BY

     SHEETS    

     BAGS    

25/11/15

Gowri Ramesh

Chennai Flood Victims

5

5

19/12/15

Vibgyor Events

Chennai Flood Victims

7

3

TOTAL

 

 

12

8

talk to us
Get In Touch
Get your CSR & sustainability solutions with us.