For cool hunters the world over, green has long been on the radar. Recycled and repurposed objects have become increasingly more common and stylish, and practices aimed at saving resources are regarded as expressions of contemporary, intelligent living. But in India–a country that has only relatively recently discovered the wasteful and disposable quality of consumerism–reusing, recycling and repurposing have historically been a fundamental part of the culture.

In this photo series, Bharat Sikka draws attention to some key examples of how Indian culture is still, as a result of traditionally having to make do with scarce resources and therefore adopting a thrifty mindset, largely inclined towards simple but inventive ways of reusing objects that end up prolonging their life, or practices that minimise waste. Such methods are apparent in a society that, for the most part, still tries to stay away from wasteful habits and uphold an attitude of eco-innovativeness, one that’s intrinsically cool because, well, it’s smart, and efficient.