Inside a small tiled-roof shed at Shenoy Nagar in Madurai, the sound of sewing machines rent the afternoon air. Half-a-dozen women are at work, their heads bent in concentration on the jute fabric in hand as they stitch non-stop. Bags, pouches and folders made of jute hang against a decorated wall as part of the display. “They’ve been contributing to society and the environment despite mental illness,” says V Latha, vocational instructor at the Occupational therapy unit of MS Chellamuthu Trust. “The women are given a few months of training to develop their skills. Jute bag manufacturing is the biggest of our activities. Over the past couple of years, jute has become a popular choice against plastic. It’s trendy, fulfils utility needs and is eco-friendly.” Trendy and eco-friendly: Over the past couple of years, jute has become a popular choice against plastic | Photo Credit: S James The trust introduced jute bag making as a skill 13 years ago and started with a few products such as handbags and clutches. The unit now manufactures over 15 varieties in various sizes and shapes. From gift wraps, files, folders, big shoppers, purses and daily use bags, there’s no dearth of choice. “Our idea is to mainstream people with mental illnesses and at the same time, give back to society. The plastic ban has made many turn towards jute and our hands are full with bulk orders,” says Latha. “School, office and college-goers opt for jute folders in place of plastic stick files. Textile showrooms and brands are looking at jute as an alternative for the plastic shopping bags.” Jute is a versatile and aesthetic fabric that’s perfect for both daily use and special occasions, says M Janaki, who runs a jute unit at her home in Surya Nagar. “It’s a trend these days to give small jute bags for return gifts (thamboola pai) at weddings. Backpacks, sling bags, string pouches modelled like the surukku pai are popular items, given away as kit bags at conferences and corporate meetings.” Attractive boxes and pouches made from palm and bamboo fibre | Photo Credit: S James There are nearly 20 such women-run cottage units manufacturing jute bags in and around Madurai. The prints vary from traditional motifs such as kolam and sungudi patterns to catchy slogans and colourful designs. The kalamkari pattern is a big hit, says Latha. “We have been setting up stalls at expos, apart from point-of-sale kiosks at departmental stores and hotels like the Fortune Pandiyan. Locals and tourists alike have taken a liking to jute bags.” There are also bags designed for specific needs and purposes, such as for carrying a water bottle or an umbrella or even a lunch box. Attractive boxes and pouches made from palm and bamboo fibre | Photo Credit: S James “However, cost is the only factor that’s dubious with jute manufacturing. We procure jute from Puducherry and other wholesale markets and it takes over four days to make 100 jute bags. Since it’s a labour intensive process, the price ranges from ?50 to ?250. We keep a slender profit margin to help sell the products.” Yet another contribution by the women at MS Chellamuthu Trust is paper bags. “We make bags out of discarded newspapers and supply them to a number of grocery stores and medical shops, thus bringing down the usage of use-and-throw plastic carry bags. Every month, we make around 10,000 such newspaper bags. Shops around the Meenakshi Temple have switched to paper bags ever since the heritage area was declared plastic-free.” Apart from this, the women also manufacture a line of special edition bags made of palm and bamboo fibre. Strands of the palm fibre is woven to form the base over which tissue cloth is stitched to make attractive pouches and jewel boxes that come with surface embellishments like silk gota borders, chamkis and shiny tassels. Some advantages of jute is that it’s washable and reusable with a decent lifespan, Janaki informs us. “Compared to cotton or cloth bags, jute is not preferred by the masses yet, but it does have a niche market segment. The demand will grow in future, as alternatives to plastic bags is the need of the hour.”

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