Recycling & Upcycling

Look at the lovely wallets in the photo! My mom bought them in Liberia. While she was working in Liberia, she sometimes visited a shop which was run by a women’s group making bags and accessories with traditional West African designs. The outer part is made of cloth, but what do you think the inner part is made of? Let’s unzip one of them and I’ll show you!

My mom worked in Liberia from July 2015 to March 2017. Wherever she is, she always looks for a “Let’s BEAR” product made of locally available resources by hand. During her stay in Liberia, she found the “Let’s BEAR” bag in the photo. What do you think it is made of? Have a close look at the brown mesh?

The other day my mom bought a “beary” interesting bag at a department store in Osaka. Look! The blue color produces a cool atmosphere. This bag is lovely, especially for summer. What do you think this bag is made of?

My mom is always saying, “The Japanese are the most disciplined people in the world,” though she has never visited all the countries on the earth. She says that there are a lot of examples that can prove the Japanese are the most disciplined people in the world. The garbage collection practice in our apartments is one of the examples.

We are approaching the end of 2016. People are preparing for Christmas around the world. Can you guess what they are made of?
We are approaching the end of 2016. People are preparing for Christmas around the world. The hotel where my mom always goes on weekends in Liberia has just started displaying Christmas decorations. When she went to the hotel the other day, she was so intrigued by the snowman and the wreath which were placed in the lobby. Look! Can you guess what they are made of?

My mom has just received the business cards that she ordered from ECOASU Umaji-mura two weeks ago. Look at her new business card and business card holder! What do you think they are made of?

After you have bottomed up your drink, don’t throw away the bottles. Whichever they are, glass bottles or plastic bottles, you can re-use them.

When my mom found this item in the women’s bag section in a department store in Osaka, Japan, the pattern on the brown material immediately caught her eye. It depicts women’s life in Africa. What is this bag made of?

Look! My mom, Yasuko, found this in a small village in Laos. Several plastic bottles containing yellow and red liquid are kept in a little wooden hut. What are they for?

Look at this table! You can see coffee beans in the center under the glass. Isn’t it a nice way to “promote” coffee in a coffee-producing country?