The 1,560-square-foot Onam installation uses more than 20,000 recycled plastic bottles and other recovered materials to promote plastic recycling and responsible waste management.
Malappuram district in Kerala is set to unveil what is being billed as Asia’s largest waste-to-art pookalam, transforming recycled household waste into a large-scale artistic installation for the Onam festival. The initiative has been jointly created by the Malappuram District Suchitwa Mission and Eco World Waste Management LLP.
The 1,560-square-foot pookalam has been constructed using materials recovered from households across Malappuram. After collection and segregation by Haritha Karma Sena members, the discarded materials were repurposed for the installation rather than being sent for disposal.
The installation incorporates an impressive quantity of recovered materials, including 20,736 plastic bottles, 13 kg of sacks, 485 CDs, 12 kg of aluminium foil, 138 food containers and 18 kg of plastic covers. Nine artists completed the work over five days.
Created around the theme of “Green Onam,” the pookalam combines Kerala’s traditional cultural imagery with recycled materials. Its design features motifs inspired by Kathakali and the chundan vallam (snake boat), demonstrating how segregated waste can be transformed into creative and valuable applications.
For the plastics and recycling industry, the initiative offers a visible example of how post-consumer plastic waste can be diverted from conventional disposal routes and given a new purpose. The large-scale use of recovered bottles and plastic covers also highlights the importance of effective collection and segregation in creating usable recycling feedstock.
The project carries the message “Our waste, our responsibility,” encouraging households and visitors to avoid littering, segregate waste at source and place recyclable materials in designated collection systems.
The installation will be displayed at Kottakkunnu in Malappuram until August 31, giving visitors an opportunity to see how recycled materials can be incorporated into public art while promoting environmental awareness during one of Kerala’s most important festivals.
The initiative demonstrates how recycling, creative reuse and public awareness can come together to promote a circular approach to plastic waste. By turning collected waste into a high-profile cultural installation, Malappuram is showcasing the potential value of recovered materials while encouraging more responsible waste-management practices.