Recycling and Reusing Tips From Africa

Garbage problem is all across the world. Though we segregate very nicely into dry, wet and sanitary waste now a days , still we are filling up landfills and mounting a huge pile of garbage in all major cities of the world. The popular concept of segregation is flawed because we feel happy in doing that thinking our responsibility is over . We are made to believe that if we segregate all the dry waste will be recycled. Infact only 10% of what we throw gets recycled. Why? Because either it cannot be recycled or it is extremely wasteful process without bringing any gains to the recycler. Very few items get recycled. There is whole list of items which cannot be recycled . Fusion material or layered packaging are some of them . When we enjoy a store bought snack in a plastic-foil material we don’t realise that it can never be recycled back .  Glass bottles can be recycled but due to various additives and an energy consuming process it comes out cheaper to buy virgin glass.

Here are some tips to recycle such material without much effort and keep it away from landfills for a long time.

Decorations made with fusion material-

One need to have a needle and a thin thread

Foil-plastic packets are cleaned and dried

They need to be folded in triangle shapes

One big plastic paper must be flat

The triangle folded plastics are attached to the big one n in a systematic way as shown on the picture

One rectangle paper is sewed to cover the starting point.

These can be put as party decorations or can be used as a mat on tables.

Recyling glass bottles- Making glass tumblers from glass bottles*

Material-

-Sisal rope (one can use thick coconut rope in India)

-Glass bottles

-Bucket of cold water

Method-

-Tie one end of the rope to a tree so that it is looks really strong

_Take your glass bottle and tie it at a point you want to cut ,make sure that you tie it two rounds but should be left a little suspended between the two rounds of the ropes so that you can move with the groove that you make

-Move back and forth for 2 minutes using both hands while holding the rope with the mouth or a friend can hold it if possible, you will feel the heat and smell of a burning bottle when it’s ready and then immediately dip it into cold water, it will automatically break along the friction points.

One can use other such material into craft which can be used for long. This recycling at source will stop most of the dry waste going into landfills from our houses.

About the author

Steven Makumba is an environmental activist from Africa  This is how he spends his  day with his  team. Removing a heap of rubbish to sorting to enable recuse and recycling. Saying NO TO POLLUTION .