We Can Make Money from Scrap/Recyclable Materials.

Scrap materials are found abundantly in the environment, they're present in the forms of paper, bottles, cans, plastic, etc. They can turn into polluting things if people don't show their concern in treating them properly or making them into something useful. There are three basic actions people can do in treating scraps : Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse.

Recycle means that we change scrap things into something useful and new which are different from their original materials.

Reduce means that we  reduce/decrease pollutants being dumped into environment.

Reuse means we utilize used materials for other uses/purposes.

In accordance with environment protection, crafting activities using scrap materials can meet those three principles.

There are many creative people in the world who make a living from making and selling handy crafts.

Handy crafts production have become a world wide business that million of people in my country depend their incomes from this industry, either for local as well as for international markets.

The question is : Do handy crafts made of scrap materials have economic values ? I believe the the answer is Yes. What makes me think so ? What some artists and entrepreneurs do can be  good examples. In Bali island craftsmen make lamp shades for export using dumped palm sheaths as part of its decoration.

People in Bekasi, a city where I live,  make various dolls out of crap fabrics and they sell well in their market shares.

Hundred of people at Pasar Baru, a market in Bandung, sell colorful floor mats which are originally made of neglected rags.

Plastic waste is considered the most troublesome pollutant in my country. It can be found in every corner in the city and chokes  sewerage and rivers on rainy days. Some methods have been implemented in the efforts of reducing plastics in environment including using them as landfill.

Another positive way in decreasing problems caused by plastic is reusing plastic packages for other benefits. This action has been socialized and developed in my country so that people can make different kinds of products made of used plastic packages and use this productivity as their source of income.

Some creative people have become inspiration for others due to their creation of various accessories like bags, laptop bag, purses, etc which are made out of used plastic packages.

One of them is Kasmi, a 51-year-old mother who runs a business in producing plastic accessories out of scrap plastics which are originally from packages of consumer goods like candy bags, softener liquid and coffee pouches, detergent sacks, etc. Her business yields income for her and her workers as much that we've never imagined before. As an illustration, from the products they export to Singapore and Dubai they make an enticing turnover up to 30 million rupiah (or around 3,200 US$) a month, not to mention the values from  exports to other countries (Journey of Ester).

Besides plastic waste, other kins of wastes can also be sources of incomes. Creativity, artistic exploration, and talents to some extent, play very important role in utilizing organic and inorganic wastes as useful or valuable crafts.

Organic Wastes

People in Tasikmalaya (a city in West Java) for example, are known for their resourceful skills in making crafts from wasted organic materials like coconut shells, mango leaves, dried water lilies, not to mention bamboo. They have exported their products to many parts around the world. Water lilies get serious attention from the government since their presence in water reservoirs and rivers has caused serious problem in silting up the waters.

Another organic material which is popularly used in craft creations is paper. Paper offers wider opportunities in terms of its product  usage diversities and material availability. From used paper we collected at home we can recycle and make it into various creations like boxes, books, dolls. vases, tissue holders, photo frames, and many more. So, making good use of paper into economically feasible products is not necessarily in big scale.

Here are some steps of recycling paper :

Tools and materials needed :

Paper

White PVA glue

Two buckets, one of them has wide opening, wide enough for the framed sieve to enter.

Framed sieve/perforated fabrics, using stencil is better .

The Procedures :

1. Tear the paper into small pieces

2. Soak it in water for about 1-2 days in a bucket

3. Crumble the soaked paper using a blender to make smooth paper pulp.

4. Add coloring agents to the paper pulp

5. Mix it with some PVA glue

6. Add water in composition of 1(paper pulp) : 10 (water), stir thoroughly . Move it to the other bucket with wide opening.

7. Dip the framed sieve into the pulp, then in horizontal position, raise it slowly. Let the water inside the frame drops back into the bucket, and we'll have sieved, damp paper pulp inside the frame. Dry it.

8. After it's completely dried, then we can peel off the paper from the sieve. Now the recycled paper, the basic material for our craft, is ready for use.

Harso Susanto runs a business producing household appliances and furniture which are made of recycled paper. His products, ranging from baskets, big boxes to various kinds of furniture like tables and chairs, have been sold in both local and overseas markets.

He made some research before he started his business regarding the strength , market demands and trends, and also how he could find materials for the glue and paints which are safe for children and of nontoxic. A lot of exporters are interested in his products since they see these products have uniqueness with few competitors in its market share and very environment friendly.

From this business Harso Susanto can earn millions rupiah and and also helps a lot of scavengers, make their livings. Thanks to those scevengers who collect scrap newspaper so that he can get continue supply of raw material, the scrap newspaper, for his business.

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