3 Friends Turn Pharma Waste Into Sustainable Furniture

When Jannat Gill, Sharon Sethi, and Mallika Reddy met at a wedding in Thailand in 2019, they discovered they shared more than just a love for celebration. They all believed waste shouldn't end up in landfills when it could become something beautiful.

The three friends launched Daera X Cancelled Plans, a sustainable furniture collection that turns pharmaceutical and textile waste into stunning home pieces. Working from their Delhi studio, they've already diverted 500 kg of waste from landfills and counting.

The journey started differently for each woman. Jannat and Sharon founded Daera, an interior design studio, in 2018 after bonding over design ideas at another wedding three years earlier. Meanwhile, Mallika was running Cancelled Plans, a brand that transformed discarded materials into fabric for clothing and accessories.

Mallika's background in pharmaceuticals gave her unique insight into how much waste the industry generates. When she teamed up with Jannat and Sharon, she knew exactly where to source materials that would otherwise pile up unused. "We intended to create furniture of tomorrow," Mallika explains.

The process sounds simple but requires serious dedication. Mallika develops different types of fabric from waste materials, then creates the upholstery that covers Daera's furniture pieces. Jannat and Sharon handle the colors and shapes, ensuring each piece looks stunning while staying sustainable.

Their collection features minimalist designs with subtle colors, proving that eco-friendly furniture doesn't have to sacrifice style. Each chair, table, and decorative piece tells a story about materials getting a second chance.

The Ripple Effect

The collaboration shows how different skills can combine to solve environmental problems creatively. By partnering across industries, the three friends demonstrate that pharmaceutical waste doesn't have to be a dead end. Their work encourages other designers to look at waste as opportunity rather than burden.

The furniture collection also shifts how consumers think about sustainable design. When people see that waste materials can create beautiful, functional pieces for their homes, they start questioning what else could be reimagined. Other studios are already taking notice, exploring their own waste-to-product partnerships.

One furniture piece at a time, these three friends are proving that sustainable design belongs in the mainstream, not just in niche markets.