Upcycle is continually innovating new ways to deal with waste materials and at the same time developing potential entrepreneurs’ enterprises with the ideas and products created.
If you look at an item like a simple t-shirt people do not realise how many of them end up being destroyed as a result of things like changes in branding, changes in corporate logos or the end of campaigns set up by large companies. Another source of waste t-shirts is after events where the excess t-shirts cannot be sold or used after the event. Finally, there are also the t-shirts that are printed or branded but have mistakes on them. The majority of these end up going to an end of life solution like being fluffed or turned into tiny shredded bits and sent directly to the landfill.
The dominant reason for the destruction of the branded items and eventual landfilling of the t-shirts is mainly due to the protection of the corporate intellectual property and trademarks.
It is Upcycle’s passion to find solutions to waste issues such as this with the ultimate aim that these items do not result in going to landfill, #landfillavoidance, that drives our innovation. One solution we developed is making various forms of pet toys from the t-shirts. The beauty of this particular solution is that it is a low tech option that has great potential in being scalable to a mass production level. This example of a dog chew would require nothing but a pair of scissors to create.
Take this as an invitation to visit our online store and view not just this item, but to view the many items we at Upcycle have innovated and taught to the local community to produce. All of them are made from waste and created to generate income via our online store but also the physical Upcycle Landfill Avoidance Shop.
While you are online go over to www.upcycle.co.za to see how we can work with you to help find solutions to your pains or upcyclefoundation.org.za to get involved in diverting waste from landfills through training and education.
#training#education#entrepreneurs#community#upcycle#zerowaste
