Buying recycled products helps to save environment<\/p>\n
By Erry Prabandari<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Handicraft items made out of recycled
\nmaterial has become a trend as more and more people have started
\nto buy these elegant and environment-friendly products.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why people love these recycled products. Maybe
\nthis is a result of the campaign to save the earth,\" said Dwi
\nWidayanto, who runs a handicraft shop in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Her recycled products are being sold not only in Java, but
\nalso outside Java, mainly in Bali.<\/p>\n
Her main products are natural-look boxes which come in various
\nsizes, depending on consumers' needs. Buyers usually like to buy
\nsmall boxes, which are made out of cardboard with attractive
\nflower decorations made from spices and grain, to keep their
\njewelry in or other small things.<\/p>\n
\"One should be creative in making these recycled products
\nbecause all kinds of materials can be used. Nothing is wasted. We
\ndecorate boxes with sea sand, cockle shells, clove, mace,
\ncardamom, marigold, grass, lamtoro husk (Leucaena leucocephala),
\npandanus plaited mat, leather, banana trunk, tree bark and rope
\nfiber,\" Dwi said.<\/p>\n
Bigger boxes are usually used to put tissues and cigars in.
\nThe most expensive boxes are made of tree bark.<\/p>\n
\"It is rather difficult to get this material (tree bark)
\nbecause we have to buy it from traders in Kalimantan,\" Dwi said.<\/p>\n
Originally, the tree bark is white, but Dwi gives the bark
\nattractive non chemical colors to make the products more
\ninteresting.<\/p>\n
In the coloring process, she uses natural dyes. For instance,
\nshe uses edible leaves such as katuk and suji leaves to obtain a
\ngreen color. She also blends betel leaf (Piper betle), areca nut
\n(Areca cathecu), gambier and lime to achieve a red or orange
\ncolor.<\/p>\n
\"You see, Indonesians like bright colors such as yellow, red,
\ngreen, blue and purple, but foreign tourists love broken white or
\nearth colors such as brown and black,\" Dwi said.<\/p>\n
In her business, Dwi hires 15 young girls to make the
\nfinishing touches.<\/p>\n
Dwi said it never crossed her mind that she would earn her
\nliving by making recycled products. Creating various products
\nfrom recycled materials used to be just a hobby to pass her
\nleisure time, she added.<\/p>\n
Apart from creating boxes made out of carton and tree bark,
\nshe also makes boxes from mahogany and teak byproducts.<\/p>\n
In her shop, Wida Florist, she sells each box at between Rp
\n10,000 to Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
Apart from boxes, she also creates photo albums and flowers
\nfrom recycled materials. For the photo album, she uses banana
\ntrunk (Musa paradisiaca), beach hibiscus leaf (Hibiscus
\ntiliaceus), water hyacinth leaf (Eichornia crassipes),
\ncloverleaf, sisal hemp, bamboo leaf (Bambusa vulgaris) and jute.<\/p>\n
\"People are surprised to find out that I create this wonderful
\nalbum from thick carton paper, scrap paper and rice paper,\" Dwi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
For colorful flowers, she will need, among other things, corn
\nhusk (Zea mays), fragrant root (Vetiveria zizanides), mace,
\ncocoon, palmyra leaf and marigold.<\/p>\n
Her shop also provides potpourri from dried flowers, such as
\nrose, jasmine and other fragrant flowers. And to add sensational
\nfragrance to her products, she adds aromatic oils, such as
\norange, lavender, sandalwood, lemon, narcis, coconut, vanilla and
\ncherry blossom.<\/p>\n
As some of her customers also love earthenware or porcelain
\nvases, she combines the flowers with beautiful vases from the
\ninner part of rattan. \"This material is very flexible since it
\ncan also be used as a flower stalk,\" Dwi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/buying-recycled-products-helps-to-save-environment-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}