News - Apr 6, 2024 Community Youth and Women’s Groups Lead Initiatives for a Cleaner Community in Honiara

Active youth and women’s groups in the Tuvaruhu community in Honiara are leading community-driven initiatives. These initiatives involve collecting plastic bottles, glass bottles, and discarded materials within the community and nearby river. They upcycle these items from trash into art.

 

 

These products, which could have been discarded in landfills or the environment, are transformed into art and craft items. For example, plastic bottles are crafted into flowers, placed on decorated glass bottles, and turned into reusable bags suitable for homes.

 

 

The sale of these crafts, created from plastic and glass bottles, helps community members generate income to meet their families and household needs. The women’s club from the community usually sells their products at market events, in the community, and at national events showcasing community initiatives.

 

 

A women’s club has established an award-winning initiative that converts plastic into bricks. This community project aims to tackle the significant plastic waste problem in the Solomon Islands. A total of ten women from the community are part of the Resilience, Innovation, and Social Change Girls Club (RISC), which aims to promote environmental sustainability through innovative projects and social initiatives.

 

 

Through months of research, trial, and error, they developed a process to transform discarded plastic into sturdy, eco-friendly bricks that can be used for construction. Their journey serves as an inspiring illustration of proactive environmental entrepreneurship. They have discovered a practical solution to address plastic bottle pollution and transformed it into a sustainable business endeavour.

 

 

The innovative waste management solution by the RISC Girls Club is the first in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region to convert plastic into durable bricks. This project aimed to reduce plastic bottle pollution and empower young women to challenge stereotypes and set a positive example.

 

 

The group gathers plastic bottles from the community, surrounding areas, rivers, and city locations to transform them into eco-friendly products or for recycling purposes.

 

 

These plastic bottles are combined with black sand from the ocean and transformed into bricks and pavers, providing sustainable construction materials that are sold within the community, at markets, and at events, contributing to waste reduction and environmental conservation.

 

 

Their story underscores the power of young minds to effect real change and contribute to a sustainable economy. These young entrepreneurs have demonstrated that innovation and resilience drive progress from discarded plastic to durable bricks. Their actions showcase how every small effort contributes significantly to a cleaner, greener future.

 

 

The group is exploring opportunities to transition from the community to a dedicated site with proper equipment for enhanced management of health and safety aspects in their community-driven initiative.