New Delhi: Every vehicle comes with its own expiry date. Once the vehicle has lived its life, usually, it goes to the dumpyard and stays on the planet forever, as a wasted item. But, Doaba Public School (DPS) located in a small village of Punjab, decided to not let its 20-year-old bus retire in the same fashion. Instead, the school authorities decided to upcycle the bus into a bus-pavilion that is today being utilised as an open-air theatre, play area and as well as a museum.

Also Read: Fighting India’s Garbage Crisis: How Upcycling And Recycling Can Make A Difference

What Is Upcycling?

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Upcycling is basically a creative way to reduce waste. Going by the definition, the meaning of upcycling is reusing discarded objects or material to make creative products that are of higher quality or value than the original.

Talking to NDTV about the project, Prerna Kaleru, Design Director at Studio Ardete, who helped in upcycling the bus said,

This was the school’s very first bus, the authorities had purchased it through a loan back at that time. It was a symbol of education and the hardships the school has gone through, in order to make education available in the rural parts of India, so the authorities had a great sentimental value attached to it. They came to us with a request of transforming this bus into a valuable product without eliminating its basic structure, so that it remains the part of the school.

The upcycled school bus that today is being utilised as an open-air theatre, play area and as well as a museum

Also Read: Free India From Trash: 5 Smart Ways To Upcycle Waste Into Things Of Daily Utility

The bus that served almost 8,000 trips for over 20 years has been upcycled in such a way that its interior space has been transformed into a gallery that offers a peek into the school’s history over the past four decades.

The inside of the school bus has been transformed into a gallery

Whereas, outside of the bus serves as a congregation space where students and teachers can sit and have a relaxing time. The roof of the bus has been converted into a deck and also serves as a small Open Air Theatre.

The outside of the bus has been turned into a congregation space where students and teachers can sit, while the roof has been converted into an Open Air Theatre

Along with keeping the sentiments intact for the bus, the authorities wanted the upcycled bus to pass on an important message of sustainability, recycling and why it is necessary for each one of us to start thinking in that way, adds Ms Prerna.

Completed and transformed in six months’ time, today, the 323-square-foot Bavillion – an upcycled geometric bus-pavilion is a living symbol of the fact that how upcycling and recycling waste products, if done right, can make a difference on the planet.

This upcycled bus is now winning hearts all over for spreading the message of a sustainable future and has also been nominated for the prestigious Eurasian Prize – Architecture and Design Award.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.