In Ghana, one businessman is popping waste into new alternatives

In Ghana, one businessman is popping waste into new alternatives.

Glass is not generally recycled within the West African nation, however from a small manufacturing facility, damaged bottles are being became new vases, consuming glasses, bowls and extra.

Within the jap area of Ghana, within the small city of Krobo-Odumase, glass waste is being recycled into inside decor.

The world is quick turning into an epicentre for glass beads and an rising sizzling glass trade.

Michael Tetteh is regarded as one in every of Ghana’s solely licensed sizzling glass blowers, reviving a misplaced artwork and creating a neighborhood trade for handmade glassware.

Utilizing solely waste glass, from damaged bottles to home windows, Tetteh believes he is re-using a number of tons of glass waste that will in any other case find yourself at a dump or landfill website.

“We’re in a rustic the place we do not recycle glass. Aside from the bead makers, my colleagues which can be producing small beads in trade, we aren’t in a position to devour extra, so by creating this trade, we are able to devour extra glass,” he says.

Tetteh skilled in glassblowing within the Netherlands with two different colleagues, and is one in every of solely a handful of individuals hoping to revive the misplaced artwork in Ghana.

In his manufacturing facility, manned by Tetteh, his household and one feminine apprentice, they produce dozens of glassware gadgets each day.

Scarce funding and lack of help didn’t deter Tetteh from constructing this sizzling glass manufacturing facility from scratch some ten years in the past.

He designed and helped construct nearly all of the gear and equipment, together with kilns and the annealer he makes use of to warmth and funky his works.

Tetteh is now coaching his household, together with younger son, Caleb, within the artwork of glassblowing.

He hopes his youngsters will stick with it the artwork and enterprise sometime.

Sooner or later, Tetteh hopes to construct a contemporary glassblowing coaching institute, the place folks can be taught the artwork of sizzling glass.

“My plan is to construct a glassblowing faculty right here in Ghana as a result of we do not have the artwork glass (faculty) in West Africa right here and Ghana right here,” he says.

Janet Offei Teyegaga is a mom of three and Tetteh’s protégé.

She prides herself on being the self-acclaimed “solely feminine glassblower in West Africa”.

“The glassblowing may be very superb,” she says.

“We use it to do vases, consuming glass and parish bowls, a number of issues.”

Hand Krafted, a recycle-focused store, is one retailer the place Tetteh’s glass merchandise are offered.

Stratcomm Africa CEO and Hand Krafted proprietor Esther Cobbah is worked up to be part of Tetteh’s journey and sees a development in the direction of recycled and up-cycled merchandise.

“We see Tetteh as contributing to environmental conservation, defending lives as a result of these damaged glasses can truly trigger hurt to folks,” says Cobbah.

“He’s additionally producing employment, as a result of he’s using folks to work with and the final time I spoke to him, he truly stated he’s making an attempt to provide you with a coaching faculty to coach folks to do extra of this throughout Ghana.”