Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in some areas like Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month.
One of these guys is Isaac, aka "The Chicken Man", from a township near Cape Town, South Africa, whom was unable to keep a regular job due to his injuries. He met a Ghanaian man who taught him to make paper flowers. He decided to replace the paper for plastic and began making plastic bag flowers and finally made his first plastic bag chicken. They became immediately popular.
Since then he has trained a dozen people in his community. Seven of his trainees set up their own business of plastic bag animals and more. Today Isaac employs 8 crafters and is able to educate his son, live in a modest home, own a car and provide livelihood for others.
You can see their beautiful items at:
wow-imports along with an exceptional line of contemporary handcrafted, functional and decorative African bead and wire art where most of them are made by groups that are members of or certified by Proudly South African, International Fair Trade (IFAT) or Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).
These fair trade African recycled plastic bag animals are made from a high percentage of used plastic bags and some of the new plastic bags are recycled - post consumer.
The recycled plastic bags crafters make many items, including recycled plastic bag chickens, roosters, dogs, pigs, zebras, flamingos, turkeys, owls and deer.
To see what else you can do to recycle plastics, take a look at the following articles:
