The Beer Bottle Upcyclers from Goa, India
Our Beer Bottle Upcyclers from Goa, India’s coastal paradise, help turn waste into wonder one bottle at a time. Waste and litter is a major problem in India. The upcyclers creatively repurpose old beer bottles, preserving their unique, original characteristics by simply adding craftsmanship and minimalistic design.
The workshop supports the local community by creating jobs. Located in North Goa, about 30 minutes from the region’s capital Panjim, they provide meaningful production jobs in an area that lacks these kinds of opportunities. Here, employees contribute to a collaborative and sustainable project, while earning a fair wage. The majority of them are women.
Because there is no proper recycling system in place, beer bottles are often just thrown into nature or end up in landfills. In a best-case scenario, they are picked up by specialized trash pickers, broken and brought to a recycling oven. Through this project, the trash pickers are given a higher price for the bottles than they would get at the recycling oven, contributing to their economic development and growth. The bottles can then be upcycled by the local craftspeople, instead of being melted down and recycled into new glass. This saves raw materials, water and energy, creating drinking glasses and carafes with a much lower footprint.
Key facts
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Donations to the Healthy Meal Program, which helps the children of trash pickers go to school and have a healthy and complete lunch there
Their unique and innovative designs and waste solutions
Other Makers
Originalhome’s aim is to create as many jobs as possible in the poorer regions of this world. Our partners are entrepreneurs that work with a sustainable and social mission in mind. We build partnerships, apply the principles of fair trade and pre-finance materials and equipment. Our partners vary from mid-sized professional businesses with fair trade certifications to small startups. Meet the ambitious makers behind originalhome!
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If you have any questions about the makers, please do not hesitate to contact us: hello@originalhome.nl.