These things are made of plastic waste that is getting a second life in Odesa thanks to Yevhen Khlebnikov, an inventor and the founder of Precious Plastic Ukraine.
Yevhen launched the project in 2016. Struck with the amount of plastic in the woods of Ternopil Oblast, he sought ways to deal with it.
Yevhen adopted the philosophy of a Dutch engineer Dave Hakkens and his Precious Plastic community: to not just recycle but prove that plastic is a valuable resource.“Plastic is a very versatile material from which you can make complex shapes, very beautiful in colours and textures. You can handle it well in different ways”. Yevhen accepts all plastic, from everyday waste to large debris, to create everything from benches and furniture to hangers and designer buttons.
They recycle scraps again and again so nothing is wasted. Unrecyclable materials are used for paving tiles, as well as upcycled into bags and raincoats that can be bought online.
Yevhen’s team also teaches children how to treat plastic waste. “I have a goal of creating a model of city infrastructure that would take care of plastic waste”. “The more workshops we have, the cleaner our planet will be”.
Author: Iryna Matviyishyn
The material was prepared with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework of the project Stories from Ukraine. The material reflects the position of the authors and does not necessarily coincide with the position of the International Renaissance Foundation.
