Your Next Chair Could Be Made Of Cash! RBI’s Plan For Old Torn Notes

Last Updated:May 30, 2025, 16:32 IST

The RBI will recycle 15,000 tonnes of old currency into particle boards, enabling their use in furniture, in a bid to reduce environmental harm

Have you ever imagined buying furniture made from money? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in collaboration with technical institutions, has developed an innovative scheme to transform damaged and obsolete banknotes into wooden boards.

These boards, made from shredded currency notes, could soon be used to manufacture household furniture.

A Greener Approach To Note Disposal

According to its latest annual report, the RBI’s initiative aims to protect the environment by recycling banknote waste into particle boards. The central bank has begun engaging manufacturers with the capability to produce these environmentally friendly materials.

15,000 Tonnes Of Currency Waste Annually

The RBI’s 2024–25 report notes that India produces around 15,000 tonnes of banknote scraps or briquettes each year. Traditionally, these have been incinerated or buried in landfills, methods with significant environmental downsides.

Seeking more sustainable solutions, the RBI partnered with the Wooden Science and Technical Institute, an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Their research has verified that boards made from currency waste meet the necessary technical standards.

As a result, the RBI is now working with manufacturers to substitute wood particles with recycled currency briquettes.

Towards Eco-Friendly Currency Disposal

The central bank’s currency management department continues to explore environmentally sound disposal methods. Given the presence of inks, fibres, security threads, and chemicals in banknotes, sustainable recycling is essential.

With this new approach, disposing of old currency notes is set to become significantly more eco-friendly.

First Published: