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Turning waste into art: Income through aluminum recycling
In their joint project, Futouris and Chamäleon support the African Monarch Lodges in not only creating income opportunities for the local community, but also raising awareness of the importance of preserving nature by creating art from aluminum waste.
Tatjana Peters
Project objectives
Raising awareness among locals and guests about the value of waste and the protection of natural resources from damage caused by (plastic and) aluminum.
Reducing the amount of aluminum waste in nature.
Production of art objects from the collected aluminum waste.
Creating jobs for locals through training in craft skills.
Increasing and uncontrolled waste disposal threatens Namibia's natural paradise
The Zambezi region in north-eastern Namibia is a true natural paradise: Known as Namibia's green oasis, the region enchants with its verdant landscapes and wide variety of wildlife, making it a paradise for nature and wildlife lovers.
On the other hand, however, the unemployment rate in the Zambezi region is high (especially among women and young people), while skill levels are low.
In addition, the poor waste management system in Namibia leads to uncontrolled and illegal dumping of waste in nature, threatening the habitat of wildlife and locals.
Preserving nature and creating jobs through aluminum recycling
This is where our joint project with Chameleon and African Monarch Lodges comes in, not only by creating local jobs and generating income through the sale of artifacts, but also by raising awareness among locals and guests about the value of (aluminum) waste and the importance of preserving nature.
Our project is part of the holistic Sijwa project of African Monarch Lodges, which aims to improve the living conditions of the local population and protect the environment at the same time: For example, waste from the lodges is processed into handicrafts and young people from the surrounding communities can learn how handicrafts are made in the project. Fresh vegetables are grown in a permaculture garden, which can be consumed directly by the residents and in the lodges without long transportation routes.
Project activities
All used tin cans from the lodges and the surrounding villages as well as any scrap metal lying around are collected.
A facility is built to melt down the tins.
Local people from the community are trained and employed on a long-term basis to crush the collected tins, work in the foundry and melt down the collected material.
182 Students who participate in the annual Junior Ranger program are also taught these recycling skills to raise awareness of waste and conservation.
The melted material is used to create artwork and artifacts that are sold to guests at the center.
