Turning plastic trash into valuable products

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Tue, 08/05/2008 10:26 AM | Lifestyle

Instant noodle wrappers usually end up as landfill, but in the hands of a group of housewives in Wonokromo, Surabaya, they can be transformed into valuable products.

The products generate cash and also help clean up the neighborhood and reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.

The group's recycling project was initiated by Liestin "Lies" Irsan, whose village was one of the dirtiest areas in Wonokromo.

During a recent visit to her home, Lies' living room was covered in trash, mainly plastic waste.

"The trash is brought to my house by housewives who are members of the neighborhood environment cadre," she told The Jakarta Post.

"It is then sorted and grouped."

The plastic waste, ranging from instant noodle wrappers, to plastic fabric softener containers and straws, is transformed into valuable products including handbags, table cloths and photo frames.

"Many things here, including the sheet on which we're sitting, are made from instant noodle wrappers," Lies said.

The recycling program began in 2005 after 42 Wonokromo residents took part in a workshop organized by the Surabaya administration and ESP-USAID. At the time, the residents were appointed as environment cadres.

"The cadres' main task is to raise awareness about reducing the amount of neighborhood trash," Lies said.

With the village located near Surabaya River, Wonokromo residents were previously blamed for dumping their trash, and other domestic waste, into the river. This gave added impetus to the green program's importance in protecting the area's environment as well as preventing floods and the spread of waterborne diseases.

In practice, each environment cadre is responsible for managing trash from 10 families. Dried trash can be recycled while wet, and toxic waste is taken to a landfill site.

Instant noodle wrappings, straws and used plastic wrappings from fabric softener are the most sought-after items, with the remaining plastic waste sold to garbage collectors.

"The wrappings and others are then washed, dried and recycled," Lies said.

The recycling process is not easy. An instant noodle wrapping is cut into two and then folded to hide its brand. The last step is to shave and turn it into a plaited sheet.

"Each wrapping can be turned into a two-centimeter-wide sheet," she said.

The sheets are then joined together to form one long plastic mat. The sheet is then cut up to make patterns for handbags and table cloths.

A one-meter by 20-centimeter table cloth takes 2,000 noodle wrappers and two months to make. A handbag requires between 1,200 and 1,500 wrappers.

"The most difficult process is to make the sheet from instant noodle. It has to be done carefully or it will fall apart during the making process," Lies said.

The easiest items to work with are the fabric softener containers, because they come in a bigger size and are more easily formed into wide sheets.

Drinking straws undergo much simpler process. They are cut into small pieces and threaded together. A small handbag requires at least 1,000 straws.

Through their work, the housewives have inspired many people, and draw representatives from cities as far away as Banda Aceh and Jakarta to visit Wonokromo to learn the craft.

A handbag made out of used instant noodle wrapping retails for about Rp 60,000.

Despite the relatively high price, the group sometimes fails to meet demand because of a shortage of raw materials.

"Before, it was easy to get the trash. But now it's harder because other residents have started to do the same," Lies said.

In addition to bringing in extra income, the activity has helped free the neighborhood from garbage, foul smells and floods.

"Previously, whenever it rained, our homes would be flooded instantly. But, not anymore," Lies said.

She added apart from handling trash, Wonokromo environment cadres had built a "garbage house" -- a place to gather dry trash before turning it into valuable products.

The 15-square-meter shack was built by residents with the money they saved from selling unused dry trash to garbage collectors.

"The garbage house is now standing, but since we do not have sufficient savings, it still has no roof," Lies said.