Saturday, December 5, 2015

Trash to Treasures

When I first heard the word catadore it sounded like a word used to describe a cat herder,or similar cat disciple but it actually describes people and organized groups who sift through trash in Brazil in search of recyclables and material to make jewelry,furniture and works of art. An estimate suggests there are about one million catadores currently making a living turning the items they find into saleable merchandise with the help of  local artists and volunteers. Many of the people are formerly homeless or ex-convicts and with the help of the organizers pool both their recyclables (cans and bottles) and their artwork which is sold in an affiliated shop then split the proceeds allowing them to earn $800 per month,a respectable wage for the area.
Trash to treasure: A catadore sifts through the trash at the Jardin Gramacho landfill site in Rio de Janeiro
Jewels: This necklace and earring combination have been fashioned from disused lighting and wireAll sorts: Paper, cans, bottles and other recyclable objects are all turned into art or jewelry and sold
Furniture: Many of ASMARE's workers are the formerly homeless or ex-convicts

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