Plastic bottles and caps are among the most common types of waste that fill our landfills and pollute the streets, and the decomposition of this material takes hundreds of years. That’s why every contribution and reuse is valuable, whether it comes from large companies or individuals. Recycling is a simple and accessible way for all of us to do something to preserve the planet, and this is the story of Dragan Janković from Čoka, who makes brooms from plastic bottles. In this way, it not only contributes to the fight against plastic pollution, but also provides itself with additional income.
After he retired due to health problems in 2011, Dragan faced the challenge of how to increase his budget. While searching for ideas, he came across a video about making brooms from plastic bottles in Spanish. Although the video was poorly translated, Dragan managed to master this technique with persistence and effort.
Janković first started collecting bottles around the village, and when his friends heard what he was planning to do, they started bringing him plastic bottles. It took him a lot of time and many unsuccessful attempts to make the first broom. Fortunately, persistence paid off this time as well. When the neighbors saw how Dragan was making brooms, they started collecting bottles and bringing them to his home address, as much to help him as to contribute to the fight against pollution. Today, he spends about an hour and a half to make one broom, while his only expense is the purchase of a wooden handle.
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The production process, as Dragan says, is not easy at all. Bottles must first be washed, labels and caps removed, and then dried. After that, the bottles are cut into thin strips, which are then rolled onto frames and boiled in water. Once dry, the strips are used for final fabrication. These brooms, in addition to being durable, are ideal for clearing leaves and are often bought by people at fairs or come directly to him.
Although he lives in a smaller area, where the demand is not great, Dragan is satisfied with the positive comments and reactions.
“There are not many customers, because this is a small area, but I regularly visit fairs, and people often come to me to choose the broom they want. Most are satisfied with the brooms and the comments are really positive. Brooms last a long time, and they are irreplaceable for cleaning leaves”, says our interlocutor.
Recycling as a way of life
On the stretch from Ostojićevo to Čoka, there are many thrown bottles, and this scene, unfortunately, is not an isolated case in our country. And while citizens largely ignore plastic waste on the streets, and municipal services still fail to clean up improperly thrown garbage, Dragan sees an opportunity to do something useful and embarks on the process of making brooms from recycled bottles.
In addition to brooms, Dragan also makes briquettes for burning from cardboard, paper and sawdust. This mixture is soaked, then mixed in a concrete mixer, pressed and left to dry in the sun. When they are dry, the briquettes are ready for use, and in combination with wood they can be used for heating.
Prepared by: Milena Maglovski
Read the full text in To the magazine of the Energy Portal ECOLOGICAL TRANSPORT.
Source: energetskiportal.rs
