Upcycling plastic bottles
“This shade port is not an ending point of my project but rather a starting point to inspire people to be more cautious about their plastic consumption, especially for single-use plastics.”
JULIA Ridderhof (21), who lives in Mondeor, has come up with a fantastic concept of turning plastic bottles into a shade port.
In her honours year in strategic communication in corporate communication at the University of Johannesburg, this was part of one of her projects for the year, making a sustainable change in the community.
“I got inspiration for my shade port from Thaba Eco Hotel’s E|Bar, after seeing a structure where they used clear glass bottles, with green glass bottles to make the ‘E’ in the structure. It looks amazing.
“I began collecting two-litre plastic bottles, many which I found on walks in the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve after they had been dumped, and I asked family and friends to help me to collect empty bottles too. I washed and took all the labels off and then asked my dad, Patrick, and his company, Domestic Gutters, to get involved, with lots of assistance from Thabo Khenisa, who works for my dad’s company.
“I then had to find the right location where the shade port could be erected and I approached Thaba Trails and the Cycle Hub. They were on board with the idea.
“My dad and his company assisted with the expertise, tools and materials to build a wooden structure and they attached the bottle tops to it, where I could then screw the bottles into the tops, to make the shade port. It took just over a day of hard work, but it has been worth it,” Julia said.
“I would love for schools to get on board with upcycling plastic bottles they collect at their schools and build the shade port similar to the one I have built at Thaba Trails. It could be utilised for shade for people watching sport, next to a tuck shop or as a waiting area for children to be collected by their parents.
“I have put together a DIY book, and would love anyone who is interested in how to build the two-litre shade port to email me on julia.ruby08@gmail.com,” she added.
READ: DIY Book
Julia said, “This shade port is not an ending point of my project but rather a starting point to inspire people to be more cautious about their plastic consumption, especially for single-use plastics.”
Julia also has social media pages if anyone is interested in seeing the whole journey from collecting bottles, to the hikes she did to the actual designing and building of the shade port. Visit: Instagram – @theproject_re or Facebook – Shades of Green
Also Read:
Ward councillors educate on recycling the right way
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