Plastic Soup

A colorful plan

On the sixth day, my publisher and I were witness to how time flies while walking in San Francisco.

We had been walking and driving to a long list of addresses where there were stores that allegedly sold things made from recycled plastic. We were yet to find one. Many addresses turned out to be nonexistent. Perhaps due to the crisis or maybe because this sort of business is flourishing on the Internet. Sure, there were other stores, but they no longer sold recycled material, except for a little tea set made by Green Toys (San Francisco). The baby was very pleased with it though, even though we thought it a little fragile.

We were almost about to give up when we arrived at the last address on my list: Global Exchange on colorful 24th Street. From the first shelf in the store, it has the appearance of a “Valhalla” of articles made from recycled plastic. There were colorful bowls and baubles made in Nepal out of old candy wrappings. Three entire villages make their income from this. There were African bracelets: thick tribal bangles from Namibia looking like cut bone, but in fact cut from old PVC pipe, and narrower bracelets from Mali woven from plastic waste. There were baskets, bowls, and suit-cases from Mexican prisons made from old plastic. The profit supported the inmates’ families. There were gorgeous baskets from Uganda, which upon closer inspection, appeared to have been made from old plastic prayer rugs. There were wallets made from used shopping bags from Cambodia, toiletry bags made from plastic bags from the Philippines, shoulder bags made from woven food wrappers from India, and complete carpets in the most beautiful patterns made from recycled plastic from Thailand.

Quite a difference from the American tea set. It really cheered me up.

Why should all these beautiful things come all the way from Africa, Asia and South America? Couldn’t we set up similar projects in the West? I don’t want to take the bread out of the mouths of these organizations, but wouldn’t this be something that could work in our detention centers? As a means for homeless people to earn a meal or a roof over their heads? Or a handicraft project for high schools to sell things at a school market for charity. The plastic problem is decreased and great products are the end result. I like the sound of it!

While I type this, I’m drinking coffee in Berkeley from a real mug. Here, polystyrene foam coffee cups (found everywhere in coffee shops) are banned.

As a result, even my double-espresso seems to taste better.

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