We’ve put up another full story online. Check out Ramon Orlina – a sculpture who uses glass and gets his inspiration from nature. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWhYaa5D6us
Category Archives: Reuse, Repurpose & Recycle
Story Uploaded: Bambu Tech
Bamboo is a versatile wood that grows quickly — making it a great sustainable candidate. Learn about how one company is putting bamboo to good use.
Ramon Orlina
Ramon Orlina polishing one of his glass sculptures
Ramon Orlina is named the Father of Philippine Glass Sculpture. With a background in architecture, Orlina succeeded in the sculpting world through his hardwork and self-study. He didn’t have any masters and he studied sculpting on his own. Unlike most sculptors, Orlina uses a cold technique for his art pieces. It includes cutting, grinding, smoothing, and polishing glass.
Glass is known to be a recyclable material, and true enough, Orlina made an art out of throw-away chunks of glass. Admitting that he is a nature lover, he translated his love for nature into his art through the forms and messages of his art.
Now, Orlina is set to have a museum in Tagaytay City (near Nuvali) with a goal of bringing art closer to the people.
People can also visit his atelier in Manila: 2170 – 2174 Ilaw ng Nayon corner Blumentritt Street, Sampaloc, Manila. One can also visit his website.
Bambu Technologies
Bamboo has often been compared to a culture of resilience that Filipinos have cultivated throughout history. This is because of its high tensile strength which is ideal in making furniture, houses, and, in this case, bikes. Boy Siojo, along with his colleagues in Bambu Technologies, has been advocating the use of bamboo because of its sustainability. It is abundant and easy to harvest.
Another striking feature of the bamboo bikes from Bambu Tech. is the craftsmanship behind them. Some of their workers are the same people who harvest the bamboo they use. More than the basic structure, the workers also incorporate their indigenous art in the body of the bikes by etching representations of their tribes’ history. This goes to show that the business does not only help the environment but it also helps Filipinos in the provinces.
For questions or orders, you may check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BambuTechnologies?fref=ts
Soap
Bath soaps can disintegrate so fast, especially now that we tend to take more baths due to the extremely hot weather. Have you ever had those little leftover soap bits that are too small to use for a regular bath? Well, instead of just throwing them away, here are some fast and easy tips to use them to sanitize different parts of your home.
- Easiest way is to make a new bar from the old bits and pieces. Simply wet the sides of several bars with warm water and press them firmly against each other, securing them with a cling wrap. Wait for it to completely dry before using.
- Turn them into liquid soap. Toss the pieces into a bowl filled with boiling water and stir briskly. Let cool and pour into your hand wash dispenser or any container.
- Dry out scented pieces from soaps and add them to clothes drawers. This will prevent that unwanted, musty smell from creeping onto your clothes.
- Make a non-toxic insecticide for your plants. Shred one tablespoon of leftover soap into ¼ cup warm water and stir briskly. After letting it cool, transfer the mixture into a spray bottle. Just spray it on the infested plant, wait for it to dry, then rinse with water. This soap spray effectively kills small insects and their eggs.
Aside from saving up money, you can lessen the amount of your household waste by following these practical tips. Now you can use your soap down to the last bit!
Got Heart Shop
Got Heart Shop along Katipunan Avenue
Are you looking for organic products? Are you searching for a way to help communities in the Philippines? Well, you may want to visit Got Heart Shop.
Got Heart Shop is the shop of Got Heart Foundation. This shop aims to continuously be an outlet or a showcase for community-made products. In addition to that, this shop is not for profit.
Got Heart shop has been working with farming, artisan, and indigenous communities from Luzon to Mindanao. The shop helps the communities develop a social enterprise that fits each community. The shop sells edible and non-edible products from the communities, like mountain rice, pots, organic vegetables, accessories, organic human and animal products, toys, organic meat, plants, and many more.
And what’s interesting also in this shop is that the whole shop is environment-friendly. The shop is a refurbished van, it is solar-powered, it uses a specialized window glass to lessen the heat entering the van, and it has a water-catchment system too!
Now, why Got Heart? According to Melissa Yeung, Executive Director of Got Heart Foundation, “Got Heart is called, Got Heart, because we believe that a lot of people have heart..a lot of people want to help but they don’t know how.. and by coming to this shop..hopefully, we get people to realize that it’s not that hard to help out.”
Got Heart Shop indeed makes both the consumers and the community benefit from the shop. After all, everybody’s got a heart for the greater good.
Ya’lin Handmade Accessories
One issue after another, magazines pile up at home and it comes to a point when they just gather dust in the corner. At the end of the day, we resort to the easiest solution: throw them away. However, Tin Militante and Marlene Aguilor have found a way to turn outdated pages of a magazine to charming trinkets.
Tin and Marlene decided to start Ya’lin Handmade Accessories after the latter attended a green workshop in their village which taught her how to make beads out of magazines. Tin found the output beautiful and started showing them to family and friends who also took interest in the accessories. Since then, they have helped each other in creating pieces of jewelry as well as selling these in exhibits and bazaars.
The next time you buy another issue of your favorite magazine, imagine what you can do with it other than read it and you might just get your money back. Upcycling isn’t so taxing with the right combination of patience and creativity.
For online orders or consignments, you may check out Ya’lin Handmade Accessories’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yalinhandmadeaccessories?fref=ts
SIBAT Foundation and their Urban Organic Gardening tips
Organic vegetables grown in Mangarita Farm, the demonstration farm of SIBAT Foundation
Organic vegetables, organic fruits. Say organic, and we automatically think of healthy and nutritious produce. But, did you know that you can actually produce your own organic products even in the comforts of your home? Or if you have a piece of land, you can turn it into an organic farm.
SIBAT Foundation, which stands for Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya (Wellness of Spring and Technology), is a non-government organization that offers courses and technical assistance for farmers (and even land owners and other organizations) to learn about organic farming. They have been around for 27 years and are known for their expertise in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. For more information about SIBAT, visit their website: http://www.sibat.org/
Organic farming is part of an alternative farming system that is safer and more environment-friendly than other kinds of farming. Organic farming does not use chemicals or pesticides and requires a lot of care, effort, and time. Organic farming or gardening in return provides produce that are healthy and safe.
Living in the city shall not stop you from growing organic produce. Here are some tips from SIBAT:
1. Use containers, like bamboo poles or used plastic bottles, for your plants
2. Use kitchen residues as fertilizer, this will even promote zero-waste management in your household
3. Choose the right container size. Determine how high and how wide your plant can become, and choose your container depending on that.
4. Bamboo poles and plastic bottles are perfect for leafy vegetables.
5. For fruity vegetables, use pots that are at least 1 foot high.
Recycled Light Bulbs
Nowadays, more people are switching to LED (light emitting diodes) lights. That is because LED light bulbs are very energy efficient and they lower your electric bills! Because they require less power to operate, installing LED light bulbs cut down your electricity costs.
But aside from that, these LED lights also reduce heat given off while operating when compared to incandescent counterparts. That means, installing LED lights in your house will give you a cooler atmosphere as well!
So now, what do we do with these incandescent light bulbs that we just got replaced? These light bulbs are actually filled with toxins, and as more people switch to LED’s, these old bulbs filled up our landfills that may intoxicate our drinking water.
Here are three do-it-yourself project in recycling the old light bulbs:
1. Hanging Flower Vase
Hanging flower vase
What we need for this project are:
- light bulb
- needle nose pliers
- flathead screw driver
- gardening wire
- water
- your flower of choice
Steps:
- Empty the light bulb. Remove the little silver layer on the bottom of the light bulb. Work the pliers under the layer to create a little lip, and then you should be able to peel it right off with the pliers.
- Next, work the pliers into the hole left after removing the silver cap, and snap the glass.
- Use the pliers to tap the rest of the black glass off the bulb.
- Then remove the little glass tube and wiring inside the light bulb.
- Now that it is empty, add flowers and water, and hang with a gardener wire.
2. Light Bulb Lamp
Light bulb lamp
For the materials:
- light bulb
- salt,
- bottle cap
- old cotton shoe lace
- lamp oil
- pliers
- needle nose pliers
- flathead screw driver
- knife
- scissors
Steps:
- Hollow out the bulb. Follow the steps from the previous project.
- Next, we clean the bulb using a spoonful of salt.
- Then we make the cap and the wick using the old sock and the bottle cap.
- And lastly, we fill the bulb with the lamp oil and light up our lamp.
3. Terrarium
A terrarium out of a light bulb
We will be needing:
- Light bulb
- charcoal
- soil
- pebbles
- sphagnum moss
- needle-nose plier
- long tweezers
- screwdriver
- plants
Here’s what we’re going to do:
- First, remove the guts of the light bulb.
- Next, add a layer of pebbles. You may use any clean regular stones or expanded clay pellets. Then fill your container approximately 1/3 full with your layer of pebbles.
- After that, add a barrier layer of sphagnum or green moss, a layer of activated charcoal and a layer of soil.
- Choose a plant and finally, gently settle in your plant and decorate the interior of the terrarium with figurines, twigs or other ornamental additions.
Sources:
- http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/7/prweb9687893.htm
- http://www.myledlightingguide.com/FAQ.aspx
- http://www.greenecoservices.com/top-14-way-to-reuse-light-bulbs/
- http://blog.freepeople.com/2011/07/wednes-diy-home-decor-the-light-bulb-vase/
- http://www.instructables.com/id/Light-Bulb-Lamp-Another-Option/step5/Fill-Assemble-Light-Enjoy/
- http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/how-tuesday-light-bulb-terrariums/
- http://en.espritcabane.com/recycling-crafts/light-bulb-vase.php
Hilot Pinoy
Owner Peter Romero in Hilot Pinoy main branch
Hilot Pinoy is not just your ordinary massage clinic.
From its massage service, to its interiors, to the therapists’ equipment, and even to its music…everything here is uniquely Filipino. And, not only does Hilot Pinoy give a traditional Filipino experience, it also promotes recycling and energy conservation in its clinics. Their interior design shows recycled woods and glasses from old Filipino houses. They conserve light and water resources as well.
Hilot Pinoy currently has two braches. The main branch is located at Unit-C Mt. Sinai Building, Fairview Avenue, Quezon City. The fairview branch is at #47 Dahlia Avenue corner Fairlane Avenue, Quezon City. Hilot Pinoy is open everyday from 3PM-11PM. For reservations and inquiries call: 985-3686 or 386-4531.
In Hilot Pinoy you will experience the traditional Filipino massage and get a complimentary calamansi tea afterwards. Here is a list of the massage service packages that they offer:
1. Hilot Espesyal (Php 500)
1 hour and 30 minutes. 1 hour and 20 minutes of acupressure massage (oil or dry), with 10 minutes of additional relaxing services (aroma facial, foot soak).
2. Hilot Tradisyunal sa Langis (Php 350)
1 hour of whole body acupressure massage zest with native coconut oil to soothe body tension and stress.
3. Hilot Tradisyunal (Php 300)
1 hour whole body acupressure massage that focuses more in unclogging the lymph nodes.
4. Hilot Mabilisan (Php 200)
30 minutes acupressure massage that concentrates on the preferred body area.
