waste for life

Morón Eco-Parc Inauguration

efeinblatt — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 05:59:38 +0000

Graciela, Brian, Lautaro, Lucas, and Marina at the Móron Eco-Park Inaugural Fair

Armed Robbery

efeinblatt — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:49:40 +0000

We’ve previously written about the fragility of recycling cooperatives, always on the cusp of economic insolvency because of equipment breakdowns, or fires, or market fluctuations in the price of recyclables, or family illnesses, even sabotage – and the list goes on. We never, however, anticipated robbery as something to be concerned about. Until now, that is. This week, Cooperativa Nueva Mente was the victim of two major robberies – one of them armed – of equipment and cash. We’re still evaluating the extent of the disruption.
The press release (in Spanish) is here: Comunicado Prensa Robo Comando3 7-6-2012

4500

efeinblatt — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:42:21 +0000

This is the number of households in Morón, the Buenos Aires suburb, from which members of cooperativa Nueva Mente collect the weekly rubbish that they then separate, sort, and sell to recycling middlemen. Until about 1 month ago this figure described a daily routine, but then it occurred to us that it also represented a built-in marketplace, which has always been the most elusive and fickle dimension of WFL. And so the Contenido Prensado youth group prepared a survey for these 4500 households to get a better picture of their daily consumption and disposal routines. Below is a first sketch of the translation of that survey into a product that mutually benefits the families of Morón and the cooperative.

sketch of a domestic recycling bin

Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy features Waste for Life

efeinblatt — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:57:28 +0000

Erica Lee, engineer and WFL project manager in Buenos Aires for 5 1/2 months during 2010-2011, has written a wonderful article reflecting upon the experience for the Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy.

As a volunteer project manager for educational non-profit organization Waste for Life,
Erica Lee oversaw the implementation of a simple manufacturing process in a recycling
co-operative in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The project’s most important deliverables
were non-technical: social inclusion, democratization of knowledge, and access to the
ability to alleviate poverty through strategic use of technology and entrepreneurship.

You can read/download the entire article by clicking on the link below.
Engineering for social inclusion in Buenos Aires

Water Catchment

efeinblatt — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:56:57 +0000

While the Nueva Mente/Contenido Prensado group in Buenos Aires have been investigating new markets and designs for their trashbins – including domestic and industrial indoor models – Sarah Seitz, at Queens University, has been experimenting with building materials and has produced an entire water catchment system from waste vapor barrier plastic reinforced with cheese cloth. The results have been impressive so far, and we are testing the durability of the gutters, downspouts, and rain barrels over the course of a Canadian winter. So far the gutters, which are the weakest link in the chain, have fared well – exhibiting no signs of delamination or uv deterioration after exposure to cycles of rain, snow, sunshine, and freeze.

Pictures from Nueva Mente

efeinblatt — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:51:23 +0000

The last post pictured a ‘final prototype’ of the trashbins that the youth group at Cooperativa Nueva Menta are producing for the Municipality of Moròn. Clients being what they are, the design has been modified, and these are the actual bins being readied for delivery … after a green and white paint job that’s taking place this week.

A Formidable Achievement

efeinblatt — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:08:11 +0000

The final bin prototype (before a final coat of paint) commissioned by the Municipality of Moròn from Cooperativa Nueva Mente. 50 bins to be used around the new Reserva Natural de Municipio de Moròn. A formidable achievement indeed.

final trash bin prototype

Exciting News from Nueva Mente

efeinblatt — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:54:46 +0000

During the past month, Nueva Mente cooperative members ventured out of Morón and took their wares to two fairs or ferias: the Feria Puro Diseño and the Feria del Cooperativismo. This was a first attempt at selling the products (mostly wallets) they had manufactured using the hotpress, and every single product was sold, which is truly amazing!

Feria Wallets

But what’s even more amazing …

is the contract the cooperative just signed with the Municipality of Morón to produce 50 trash bins for an area around a local reservoir that is being rehabilitated. This is a major step forward because the local government is now recognizing Nueva Mente as a legitimate manufacturing operation, not simply a recycling cooperative, which is exactly where all of us want to be. Kudos to everyone involved!

Trash Bin

By the way, the team that is working with the hotpress has donned a new name for their project – Proyecto Contenido Prensado or Project Contents under Pressure ….

Product Card Insert

ASME features Waste for Life

efeinblatt — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:50:07 +0000

The redesigned American Society of Mechanical Engineers website launched with an article about ‘engineering a better world’ that features Waste for Life, and the author does a fine job pulling together many of the ideas that drive WFL’s practices. Click here to read.

Radio Netherlands Interviews Cooperativa Nueva Mente and WFL

efeinblatt — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:16:24 +0000

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Earth Beat devoted this week’s broadcast to plastic. Plastic fantastic features interviews with WFL and Cooperativa Nueva Mente about our collaboration. You can listen to the entire broadcast from the Radio Netherlands site here: http://www.rnw.nl/english/radioshow/plastic-fantastic
….or listen to just our portion in this edited version.