Processing Waste for Household Needs

Plastic is the most challenging material for the soil to break down. It takes at least 50-100 years for plastic to decompose. Yet, plastic usage worldwide is extensive. In Indonesia, 64 million tons of plastic waste are produced each year, with 3.2 million tons of it ending up in the sea. This is certainly not a good sign, so campaigns to reduce plastic waste have been gaining momentum in society. Plastic bags are being replaced with cloth bags, plastic straws with stainless steel straws, and people are using tumblers and food containers when buying snacks.

The above steps can indeed reduce plastic waste. However, what about the existing plastic waste? Whether we like it or not, existing plastic waste must be processed to prevent it from piling up. Here are some alternatives for processing plastic waste into useful items in your home:

1. Ecobrick
If there is plastic waste like mineral water bottles, snack packaging, straws, and plastic bags around your home, don't rush to throw them away. This plastic waste can be turned into ecobricks. Ecobricks are made by filling plastic bottles with waste until the bottles become compact. Once the plastic bottles are packed, they can be used to create useful items like garden fences, furniture, or even building walls. Making ecobricks is not difficult. You only need to prepare plastic bottles, clean and dry plastic waste. Make sure there is no leftover water, oil, or other contaminants on the collected waste. Then, fill each plastic bottle with the cleaned waste. Fill it until it's compact. Try to use plastic bottles of the same size and shape. Assemble the packed plastic bottles into the desired object, such as a chair, table, or garden divider. The number of bottles needed depends on what kind of furniture you want to create. The larger the furniture, the more bottles you will need.

source : colombiareports.com

sumber : ecobrickssa.org

2. Plant Pots
   It's not uncommon to repurpose plastic waste into plant pots. Plant pots can be made from various types of plastic waste, such as plastic bottles, beverage packaging, used cooking oil containers, and detergent packaging. If there are empty mineral water bottles around your home, you can use them as plant pots. You can either use a whole bottle or cut it in half first. Afterward, make small holes in the bottle's body for water drainage. This prevents overwatering. Add soil as a planting medium and place the plant inside. You can also unleash your creativity by decorating and beautifying the bottles.

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The same processing method applies to other types of plastic waste. Regardless of the plastic material, one thing to ensure when processing it into plant pots is to provide holes for water drainage.

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3 .Plastic Basket
Do you have many plastic bags from grocery shopping lying around your home? You can repurpose them into versatile plastic baskets. The process is straightforward to follow. Firstly, prepare the plastic bags. The number of bags you need depends on the size of the basket you want to make. Once you have enough plastic bags, cut them into long strips.

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 Weave the plastic strips together. Since they will be woven, you need at least three plastic strips. The length of the woven plastic depends on the basket's size you wish to create. It's important to note that if the weaving is too loose, it will be challenging to sew the bottom of the basket later on. Conversely, if the weaving is too tight, the basket will become smaller and lose its beautiful texture.

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After the long plastic weave is formed, shape it into a basket by sewing it. Start by creating the basket's base first. Then, move on to the sides of the basket. Once everything is completed, your basket is ready for use.

Source:
- https://www.ecobricks.org/
- https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-basket-out-of-plastic-bags/
- https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2018/08/19/21151811/indonesia-penyumbang-sampah-plastik-terbesar-kedua-di-dunia