By Helena Selby
Things are always understood to lie astray when its usefulness is outlived. Things are always discarded haphazardly in the environment, when their owners find them no longer useful. It is always said that useless things always find themselves in the dumping site, but an innovative mind brings it back home for it to be made useful. Technology has given birth to innovative ideas, which has brought about the emergence of recycling. The act of recycling started in the developed countries - to make use of materials which are no longer useful because they have served their initial purposes.
Beginning of recycling in Ghana
Psychologically and according to history recycling started in the developed world many years ago. However, critical thinking and remembrance acknowledge the fact that the African had a way of recyclin
g items which were no longer useful. A long time ago, even till date, children practiced recycling in their own ways. In poor or average homes, where parents or guardian find it hard to add football to their purchasing list, the children find ways and mean to get one for themselves. These children normally go to the dumping grounds or roam about looking for discarded clothing, which they wash, dry, put them together in the shape of a football, tie it up tightly with thread, and hey! presto, they have a football of some sorts.
For those who love to play with cars, they sometimes during their leisure time, go to the dumping grounds to look for empty cans, especially the beverage cans and use their innovative ideas on them. They cut them open, clean, and beat them into the shape of a motor vehicle. Sometimes, as a sort of challenge among them, they try to create designs, which are very impressive, in the form of a competition. Some adults also take cans and make kerosene lamps out of them, and sell to make an income. Because these lamps are not very expensive, they are being used at night by a lot of households, especially those who trade in food at night.
Recycling and modernity in Ghana
Recycling has never being a thing of thought to the majority of Ghanaians, but in recent times recycling has been on the mind of even the layman. Modernity and technology has give people new ideas to recycle materials. The idea of recycling has created a job avenue for some, who collect empty sachet water, yoghurt and other plastic materials, and sell them to some industries for recycling. Most often children, as young as four years of age, go round and pick these plastic materials to help make some extra income for their parents. This project of recycling has as enabled the aged, who have no one to take care of them, have a source of income. These adults, as old as they are, make it a point to go round and pick these plastics for sale, and by so doing it prevents them from begging for alms on the streets, or being a burden on their younger relations.
Sachet water, being one of the commonest and most consumed commodities in the market places, towns and cities, is readily available, especially through the negative habit of most people, who dispose of them anywhere and anyhow. Though a source of income to both the young and the old, this activity of picking these plastic wastes helps keep the environment clean. These yoghurt, ice cream and sachet water plastics are sometimes sold to industries and individuals. Individuals who buy them use them for art - curtains, bags and other decorations.
According to NowPublic website, one fashion designer, Kwabena Osei Bonsu, noticing the 2.2 million numbers of people in Accra create about 60 tonnes of plastic waste, which they throw away indiscriminately, and thought it wise to make use of it. As a result, he brought about the innovative idea of turning these waste plastic materials into usable and fashionable carryalls and handbags.
He collects plastic sacks and stitches them back together. His business employs a dozen tailors and seamstresses. It was launched in December 2007, and so far, his business has collected 10 million used plastic sachets from the streets, and sold more than 6,000 bags. Handbags go for about US$8/GH¢8. This business of Bonsu’s has turned into a source of income for local people, who receive US$3.89 for 1,000 sachets - a good return where the average yearly income is US$495/GH¢500.
What is recycling?
Recycling is the re-using of materials in their original or changed form, rather than discarding them as waste. In re-using material, or changing the form or composition of material, rather than throwing it away, could benefit from it. According to Project Green website, for one to get a good recycling process, there is the need for one to separate the recyclable materials from the non-recyclable ones. Recyclables are sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and prepared into marketable commodities for manufacturing. After the materials are cleaned and separated, they are then ready to undergo the second part of the recycling loop. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with total or partial recycled contents. Purchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop. By "buying recycled," items, governments, as well as businesses and individual consumers, each play an important role in making the recycling process a success. As consumers demand more environmentally-sound products, manufacturers will continue to meet that demand, by producing high-quality recycled products.
Importance
Recycling material, especially kitchen waste, gives nutrients to the soil to increase plant growth for human and animal consumption. Moreover, recycling it prevents air pollution, since it will not be left to decompose to pollute the air. In countries like Ghana, where there is no proper protection or boundary to keep the refuse in place during the rainy seasons, improperly disposed off refuse end up in the drains, ending up choking them. This results in stagnant water which is an ideal place for the breeding of malaria carrying mosquitoes. An example of industrial pollution is at Abgobloshie, a suburb of Accra, where discarded computers are dumped. The youth there take them apart, select the lead wires in them, burn them and sell them. The burning process produces poisonous gas, which affects the people, especially children and the nearby water body.
According to people living there, the water body was once used for fishing, but the poisonous gas and the junks frequently drifting into it when it rains, has killed all the fish in it.
When these materials are recycled, space is created for other projects. The space created can in a way be use for developmental purposes, or for business. For instance, a dumping site in Ashaiman, has being turned in a work place for mechanics. This is so, because the people have stopped dumping refuse there, since the waste truck, of late, makes it a duty to collect refuse from the houses at least twice a week.
Rubber, which is used as wrapper for a lot of products, is gotten from a tree as well as cloth. One ought to bear in mind that natural resources like trees does, not only bring revenue to a nation, but also, day in day out, save human lives.
Apart from giving employment to many people, it as well saves money for those who make use of it. Those who make use of it will have the chance to save money, which was supposed to be used to by other raw materials for their products. People have come to the realisation that recycling saves many, in various ways.
Conclusion
Recycling, no doubt, has gone a long way in helping developed countries. People ought to come to the realisation that recycling saves the individual, environment and the economy of a nation as a whole.
Things are always understood to lie astray when its usefulness is outlived. Things are always discarded haphazardly in the environment, when their owners find them no longer useful. It is always said that useless things always find themselves in the dumping site, but an innovative mind brings it back home for it to be made useful. Technology has given birth to innovative ideas, which has brought about the emergence of recycling. The act of recycling started in the developed countries - to make use of materials which are no longer useful because they have served their initial purposes.
Beginning of recycling in Ghana
Psychologically and according to history recycling started in the developed world many years ago. However, critical thinking and remembrance acknowledge the fact that the African had a way of recyclin
g items which were no longer useful. A long time ago, even till date, children practiced recycling in their own ways. In poor or average homes, where parents or guardian find it hard to add football to their purchasing list, the children find ways and mean to get one for themselves. These children normally go to the dumping grounds or roam about looking for discarded clothing, which they wash, dry, put them together in the shape of a football, tie it up tightly with thread, and hey! presto, they have a football of some sorts.For those who love to play with cars, they sometimes during their leisure time, go to the dumping grounds to look for empty cans, especially the beverage cans and use their innovative ideas on them. They cut them open, clean, and beat them into the shape of a motor vehicle. Sometimes, as a sort of challenge among them, they try to create designs, which are very impressive, in the form of a competition. Some adults also take cans and make kerosene lamps out of them, and sell to make an income. Because these lamps are not very expensive, they are being used at night by a lot of households, especially those who trade in food at night.
Recycling and modernity in Ghana
Recycling has never being a thing of thought to the majority of Ghanaians, but in recent times recycling has been on the mind of even the layman. Modernity and technology has give people new ideas to recycle materials. The idea of recycling has created a job avenue for some, who collect empty sachet water, yoghurt and other plastic materials, and sell them to some industries for recycling. Most often children, as young as four years of age, go round and pick these plastic materials to help make some extra income for their parents. This project of recycling has as enabled the aged, who have no one to take care of them, have a source of income. These adults, as old as they are, make it a point to go round and pick these plastics for sale, and by so doing it prevents them from begging for alms on the streets, or being a burden on their younger relations.
Sachet water, being one of the commonest and most consumed commodities in the market places, towns and cities, is readily available, especially through the negative habit of most people, who dispose of them anywhere and anyhow. Though a source of income to both the young and the old, this activity of picking these plastic wastes helps keep the environment clean. These yoghurt, ice cream and sachet water plastics are sometimes sold to industries and individuals. Individuals who buy them use them for art - curtains, bags and other decorations.
According to NowPublic website, one fashion designer, Kwabena Osei Bonsu, noticing the 2.2 million numbers of people in Accra create about 60 tonnes of plastic waste, which they throw away indiscriminately, and thought it wise to make use of it. As a result, he brought about the innovative idea of turning these waste plastic materials into usable and fashionable carryalls and handbags.
He collects plastic sacks and stitches them back together. His business employs a dozen tailors and seamstresses. It was launched in December 2007, and so far, his business has collected 10 million used plastic sachets from the streets, and sold more than 6,000 bags. Handbags go for about US$8/GH¢8. This business of Bonsu’s has turned into a source of income for local people, who receive US$3.89 for 1,000 sachets - a good return where the average yearly income is US$495/GH¢500.
What is recycling?
Recycling is the re-using of materials in their original or changed form, rather than discarding them as waste. In re-using material, or changing the form or composition of material, rather than throwing it away, could benefit from it. According to Project Green website, for one to get a good recycling process, there is the need for one to separate the recyclable materials from the non-recyclable ones. Recyclables are sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and prepared into marketable commodities for manufacturing. After the materials are cleaned and separated, they are then ready to undergo the second part of the recycling loop. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with total or partial recycled contents. Purchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop. By "buying recycled," items, governments, as well as businesses and individual consumers, each play an important role in making the recycling process a success. As consumers demand more environmentally-sound products, manufacturers will continue to meet that demand, by producing high-quality recycled products.
Importance
Recycling material, especially kitchen waste, gives nutrients to the soil to increase plant growth for human and animal consumption. Moreover, recycling it prevents air pollution, since it will not be left to decompose to pollute the air. In countries like Ghana, where there is no proper protection or boundary to keep the refuse in place during the rainy seasons, improperly disposed off refuse end up in the drains, ending up choking them. This results in stagnant water which is an ideal place for the breeding of malaria carrying mosquitoes. An example of industrial pollution is at Abgobloshie, a suburb of Accra, where discarded computers are dumped. The youth there take them apart, select the lead wires in them, burn them and sell them. The burning process produces poisonous gas, which affects the people, especially children and the nearby water body.
According to people living there, the water body was once used for fishing, but the poisonous gas and the junks frequently drifting into it when it rains, has killed all the fish in it.
When these materials are recycled, space is created for other projects. The space created can in a way be use for developmental purposes, or for business. For instance, a dumping site in Ashaiman, has being turned in a work place for mechanics. This is so, because the people have stopped dumping refuse there, since the waste truck, of late, makes it a duty to collect refuse from the houses at least twice a week.
Rubber, which is used as wrapper for a lot of products, is gotten from a tree as well as cloth. One ought to bear in mind that natural resources like trees does, not only bring revenue to a nation, but also, day in day out, save human lives.
Apart from giving employment to many people, it as well saves money for those who make use of it. Those who make use of it will have the chance to save money, which was supposed to be used to by other raw materials for their products. People have come to the realisation that recycling saves many, in various ways.
Conclusion
Recycling, no doubt, has gone a long way in helping developed countries. People ought to come to the realisation that recycling saves the individual, environment and the economy of a nation as a whole.
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