Art from Recycled Flip Flops

 

UniquEco Recycled Flip Flop Initiative Creating One of a Kind Wildlife Sculptures

The shores of the Indian Ocean in eastern Africa are awash with industrial debris from as far away as China, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia. Hundreds of brightly colored flip flop sandal pieces and parts wash ashore daily not only causing blight along the coastlines but endangering the marine eco-system in the vast ocean that lies between these countries. The flip flop initiative by UniquEco is a solution designed to clean up the environment by marketing products made from waste back to the consumer who generated it while providing employment opportunities to the poor communities hardest hit by this environmental degradation.

The Champali Wildlife Sculptures from UniquEco Designs are imported by Global Crafts, a fair trade company that works with artisan groups from all over the world. Champali means slipper in Swahili. Local women and children comb the shores to collect the indestructible pieces of rubber champali. Talented artisans and sculptors in the village glue the pieces together in multicolored patterns then hand carve each carefully crafted animal transforming recycled waste into stunning works of art!  These colorful animals offer no matter what their skill level.

These unique pieces can be purchased at www.organicbug.com.  Purchasing one of these colorful animals helps to support workers in this developing region while preserving the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The UniquEco Champali Animal Sculptures are featured in the Summer, 2008issue of O at Home, Oprah’s popular home decor quarterly magazine!