• Email: shambavi@planettomorrow.net
  • Call +971 50 481 5499

Save The Landfill
Save Fabric Scrap

Saved 13,500 kgs as of May 2024.
Get In Touch

Join Our Save, Scrap, and Sew Buddies

Volunteer Your Time ☑
Practice Your Compassion ☑
Experience Gratitude ☑
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Save The Landfill
Save Fabric Scrap

Saved 12,500 kgs as of May 2024.
Get In Touch

Join Our Save, Scrap, and Sew Buddies

Volunteer Your Time ☑
Practice Your Compassion ☑
Experience Gratitude ☑
Get In Touch
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

Get in touch

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

DATEDISTRIBUTED BYRECEIVED BYSHEETSBAGSPILLOWSSCARVES
26/01/26ShambaviNallampalayam Government School–15––
16/02/26Rama MalarFishermen (Deira)33–15–
18/02/26Rama MalarConsulate (for women)15–12–
DATEDISTRIBUTED BYRECEIVED BYSHEETSBAGSPILLOWSSCARVES
16/02/25ShambaviRama Malar62451510
30/04/25ShambaviUsha12–––
28/06/25ShambaviNaeyam Senior Citizen Protectors – Mrs. Kalyani Padmanaban20–––
20/07/25ShambaviLabour Camp UAE81–83–
10/09/25ShambaviGogulam Charitable Trust, Vadavalli–22––
15/09/25ShambaviNizhal Charitable Trust–18––
10/12/25Dr. Brig V. RamananPeople Living on the Streets10–––
20/12/25Bangalore BuddiesGHPS Vimanapura7411–

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   54–––9
10/02/2020Sarita

Government Primary School

In Dwaraka

1030–––
10/02/2020Khalifa Street BuddiesNearby Construction site––31––
12/03/2020 Shambavi Red Crescent Dubai6793––17
03/10/2020Khalifa Street Buddies Construction Site133210––
25/10/2020Shambavi  Red Crescent Dubai 6253–2–
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 Tiruchy–25–
06/02/2019Navaneeta/Geeta VAssisi Bhawan Old Age home35–27
07/02/2019ShambaviRed Crescent30––
10/02/2019Bharathi PaiVishvakirti Primary School,Udupi Karnataka–55–
16/02/2019Geeta VasudevanElizabeth Convent Vasai Mumbai11527
26/03/2019Silky/Leena/SheelaQusais construction site––40
07/04/2019GarimaMadhav Baal Niketan Gwalior MP–17–
07/04/2019GarimaRobin hood Army managed slums–32–
15-18/04/19Abudhabi buddies@construction sites AL Reem––220
21/05/2019ShambaviMr. Venkat for Mr. Srini Tranquil Charity–133–
21/05/2019ShambaviMohammad Kamal48––
02/06/2019Sanjana ,GoolDeira construction site––50
24/06/2019VidyaKaliyuva Mane School, Karnataka–40–
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 street––10
13/10/2019Abudhabi buddiesdistributed to workers at Kalifa Street park––42
31/10/2019ShambaviRed Crescent3220525
31/10/2019Bhagat Pooran Singh PingalwaraAmritsar6610
20/11/2019Abudhabi buddiesKalifa Street construction site––65
28/11/2019Sandhya Kiranasenior citizens–57–
28/11/2019Bangalore buddiesAPSA- association promoting social cause–1212
17/12/2019Geeta Vasudevancancer patients aid association17–64
21/12/2019Sai Mrs . Jhansi Premanand, Hyd–50–
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  
12/01/2017SaretaAbudhabi––40––
13/01/2017Anitha -Chef

Shri Sharda Educational Trust Chord

Hospital Road Basaweshwara Nagar 

12––––
14/01/2017Shambavi- JovinAfrica–100–––
21/01/2017Thylambal Ramamoorthy

Anbu Malar Udal Unamuttror Samuga Nalavalvu Home

–––16–
22/01/2017Shambavi-Mohammad KamalEmirates Red Crescent35––2121
06/02/2017Anagha-Anaghas motherShanti Bhavan Charitable Trust,Mumbai20––19–
07/02/2017Vijaya Kumar- Shanthi SeshadriCorporation School-RA Puram Chennai–105–––
08/02/2017SSS buddies GCC -site Bur Dubai––130––
10/02/2017Renuka-AparajitaChild in Need,Kolkotta–131–17–
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 site––30––
05/05/2017Shambavi/Sarita Navin Balgrah Girls home Mumbai25––––
10/05/2017Shambavi/SaritaJyot bahudeshy samajik sansthan–50–––
22/05/2017ShambaviKantar 76525––
23/05/2017Mala DevrajanSunbeam child fund association BLR–25–––
27/05/2017Audrey & RituInternational city––66––
10/06/2017Afshan Barsha & Furjan––340––
10/06/2017ShambaviAl Twar––50––
11/06/2016SimiAl Furjan––50––
13/06/2017MalaChild Fund association Bangalore1941––10 stoles
04/07/2017Vijaya SukumarDurga Devi Sharma Marathi school Mumbai–120–––
11/07/02017ShambaviAl twar––10––
14/07/2017AnaghaGorai–––––
25/07/2017ShambaviRamakrishna Mission student home chennai27––––
17/08/2017Nisha Varghese’s MomMolly Koshi Rural Progressive development center Kochi–15–––
17/08/2017
Audrey/Esmod DubaiThe Home for Aged and Handicapped Nagpur–37–––
18/08/2017

Mamatha

Makkal Mane Mysore–20–––
10/09/2017Renuka/NickyHeartlands Baby Sanctuary South Africa43––––
24/09/2017Thylambal RamamoorthyAnbalayam Coimbatore–45–––
24/09/2017Thylambal RamamoorthyUdavaum Karangal Coimbatore–––29–
25/09/2017Vasanti Rajan BabuSRPJ Kanyashala Mumbai–55–––
26/09/2017Vasanti Rajan BabuAdharvad Niradhar va Apang mahila trust25––––
26/09/2017
Vasanti Rajan BabuSome needy people3––––
12/10/2017ShambaviEmirates Red Crescent3622–14–
24/11/2017AmritParikrama Humanity-Bangalore10––––
04/12/2017Madhuri MallaDiscovery Garden––200––
10/12/2017Jyoti VishalChildren’s Home of Hope.1646–––
15/12/2017RenukaNicky-School in SA–11–––
20/12/2017ManaliRag Pickers Ahmedabad10––––
26/12/2017Meena S.Open Arms /Red Crescent Labour camp Dubai30––––
30/12/2017Sareta3 Construction sites Abudhabi––50––
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

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