Giving Plastic a New Life

Plastic art: a floating lily, a butterfly, and a dragonfly, each made from recycled plastic bottles

What can you do with an empty plastic bottle?

Recycle it.

Reuse it.

Create art.

Start a conversation about protecting the environment.

In southeastern Russia, where waste pollution is a major problem, a local couple is using creative solutions to protect the environment.

They used a small grant to put their idea into action, and now they’re inspiring their small community to think differently about caring for the place they live.

Tamara and Vasilyi Rumkiny

Meet the the Rumkinys

Tamara and Vasilyi Rumkiny are former Soviet engineers. They’re celebrating the 50^th anniversary of their wedding this year. They are also leading innovative environmental action in theri community.

Since retirement, Tamara and Vasilyi have used their knack for design and innovation to improve environmental health in their village near Chita, Russia. Pollution (both domestic and industrial) is one of the biggest environmental problems facing the Chita area. Hoping to make a difference, the couple formed an organization called Initiative Group of Pensioners, and they began to design homegrown solutions to waste pollution.

Giving Plastic Waste a New Use

The couple began to actively promote recycling and reusing plastic bottles for household purposes. As an organization, they used a small grant to collect plastic waste and turn it into art, like the flower above. Then, they began to spread the word about environmental health.

The art they create takes first prizes at various regional and even national exhibitions and contests.  The Rumkinys have published brochures representing their creations and distributed them to the local schools and nonprofits. The crafts themselves are unique, but the training workshops and competitions create a space for the Rumkinys to open a conversation about caring for the environment. From school children to their peers, Tamara and Vasilyi are raising awareness and excitement about environmental protection in a very polluted area.

The couple’s optimism is contagious and inspiring. Although their organization is small, they remain determined, washing and transforming the plastic in their small apartment. They say that their mission is to involve as many people as possible in their recycling projects.

Why don’t you get involved? Check out these instructions from the Rumkinys on how to make a flower from a plastic bottle >>

Plastic bottles litter parks and forests around Chita, Russia, but they can be collected and turned into art. The art starts a conversation about environmental health.