Thinking of plastic packaging in a different way can bring many benefits. The problem with packaging is that after its original role has been fulfilled it is considered to be without any value. Creative and innovative solutions can be found however, that can add value to this seemingly valueless material and at the same time prolong its life by incorporating it into other products.
One such solution is to collect the discarded plastic drink sachets that are found in abundance in Ghana, West Africa, and without expending much energy (unlike some recycling solutions) patch them together and use them as the material for bags and other products. This is how we make Trashy Bags.
Above: Sachet collection after a football match in Accra
By encouraging people around Ghana to collect millions of discarded plastic sachets and paying them a collection fee for each batch of a thousand that they collect we are not only helping to clean up the environment but also providing casual and supplementary employment to people who otherwise would be out of a job or below the poverty threshold. In addition we are teaching people that the sachets can have an inherent value of their own and should be saved rather than discarded indiscriminately.
Once received we wash the sachets three times before disinfecting and drying them and sorting them into different types before storage, ready for sewing together and assembling into unique and useful bag designs such as brief cases, backpacks and tote bags.
Above: Washing, disinfecting and sorting. Far right: Sewing sachets into sheets
Every bag that we sell is an opportunity for us to educate and inform people about the dangers of littering the environment by including a simple leaflet with every bag. We also encourage people to collect sachets and inform them where to find our collection points.
Above: Sorting sachets into types
There are currently five basic designs of Trashy Bag with more in the pipeline. Overall there are over 100 models to choose from which incorporate the most widely found sachets in Ghana - the most ubiquitous being the 'pure water' ones.
The Trashy Bags workshop is based in Dzorwulu and employs over 60 full time workers. This is helping to reduce Accra's high rate of unemployment and bringing badly needed enterprise to the area.
Above: Sewing water sachets into sheets. Far right: Making the handles.
The Problem
Above: Rubbish dumps in residential areas
littered with plastic waste
Below: Rubbish lining a residential walkway
Plastic has in recent times become the material of
choice for packaging because it is convenient to use and hygienic.
However, most types of plastic packaging have a disadvantage due to
their inability to easily
degrade.
On the streets of
The consequences of failing to curb this growing menace are serious and the problem is only getting worse with increased prosperity and the resulting growth in the purchasing of packaged goods. Some countries have sought to solve this problem by banning the use of plastic packaging altogether. This may help in the short term but it presents its own problems and doesn't tackle the underlying issues of a 'throw away' society.
The Humble Sachet
One
of the most ubiquitous types of plastic packaging in Ghana is the humble
sachet, used for drinking water, ice-cream and yoghurt drinks.
A bustling city in the tropics brings out hundreds of street hawkers
many of whom are selling these sachets to thirsty drivers and vehicle
passengers. Although a hygienic and convenient type of
packaging, once used, the sachets are generally discarded on the street
with very little thought being given to the damage this careless
disposal can do to the environment.In fact the humble sachet, because of it's indiscriminate disposal, is recognized in Ghana as a potent symbol of the waste problem and steps have been taken in the past to ban its use. However, the sheer convenience and utility of the product make it overwhelmingly the best choice of packaging for this kind of product.
As an NGO, GCP also works as a campaigning organization, notably in the area of climate change, having launched www.StopKillingUs.com in 2006 which is specifically targeted at raising awareness in Africa and the outside world of the problem of global climate change as it relates to Africa.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Throughout
the developed world, policies and strategies are being introduced which
encourage the reuse and recycling of plastics to prolong their lifespan.
Unfortunately, in Ghana as in many African countries, other, more
pressing problems, are often given higher priority and environmental
initiatives are only launched when the hazard represents an immediate
threat to the human population. Consequently in developing countries
the problem of land pollution persists and grows worse and the
phrase 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle', familiar to people in the developed
world, is generally unknown.With improved environmental education as we have seen in the developed world in recent years, and a concerted effort by government to deal with this issue, countries like Ghana can get on top of the problem. When an educated population starts to make the right choices then manufacturers and suppliers will also rise to the challenge of making their packaging more environmentally friendly by making it biodegradable or using different materials. When recycling programmes become available, people can then be encouraged to keep their packaging for recycling and even to reuse it for other purposes so as to extend its lifespan.
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