“We don’t want to overvalue these items because we are getting them for free from celebrities,” says actor and environment consultant Ann Anra, whose company Wasted Solutions — which involves offering waste management solutions and dry waste upcycling — has launched an initiative called The Rebirth Collective, encouraging people to support reusing and second-hand buying.
Through this campaign, the company will be auctioning previously-owned products by celebrities, in an effort to assist the families living in the Perumbakkam Housing Board. The idea, Ann Anra says, was to set up a platform that would help the community get back on its feet with some financial stability post-lockdown.
“Earlier, they were somehow sustaining themselves by making masks and other work. But now, they do not have access to basic necessities,” she says, adding that she has partnered with Arpanam Trust, whose women employees mend and refurbish damaged products. “All we intend to do is to throw light on the current situation at Perumbakkam.”
Ann Anra on initiating The Rebirth Collective
The campaign will go on for the next eight weeks and there will be a new announcement every Thursday on Wasted Solutions’ Instagram handle (@indiawasted). Actor Nithya Menen will auction her Lakme Fashion Week dress (starting at ₹10,000), designed by Kaveri.
“I am giving away this dress for auction and 100% of the proceeds will go to Arpanam Trust to help people self-sustain during this time,” said the actor.
The auction will go live on Instagram at 4 pm tomorrow and will close on Wednesday at 9 pm. The base price is one-third of the original cost of the product and the highest bidder will get a 24-hour window to make the payment. “Celebrities are our selling point,” laughs Ann, adding, “For example, once the Nithya Menen video was out, we started receiving bids.”
Wasted Solutions is not looking at clothes alone but utilities as a whole — ranging from fashion to home appliances. “We exchange clothes and items with our families and friends. But somehow, there seems to be some reluctance in buying old products,” says Ann Anra. She adds, “We are looking to rope in celebrities who understand and appreciate the concept of reuse.”
Bids can be placed via direct message or comment. For details, check Wasted Solutions’ Instagram handle
