All of our projects rely on partnerships, and few are more essential than those we make with local universities that support our communities with research and development. The model is always the same: we look for a university that has an engineering, industrial or...
Over one year ago we wrote a post, Proof of Concept (https://www.wasteforlife.org/2017/09/28/proof-of-concept/), detailing the replacement of an asbestos toilet block roof with our prototype composite roof made from waste HDPE plastic reinforced with rice husks and...
On 23rd August, after months of planning, designing, testing, and coordinating – not to mention years of prior materials research – Paul Burnham joined our team members, Ashok Thayalan and Reddy Pramathanath in Jaffna to help replace an asbestos toilet...
Paul Burnham (http://www.paulburnham.com.au/) arrived in Colombo yesterday and heads up to Jaffna tomorrow to work with Ashok and Reddy on our asbestos-replacement roof project. Chern NG, our in-house Perth architect, designed the corrugated roof that Ashok and Reddy...
Many months ago we alluded to an upcoming project in Sri Lanka. At the time, we thought we would be partnering with Dilmah Conservation, the human and environmental services arm of Dilmah Tea Company, http://www.dilmahconservation.org/. We had been speaking with...
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...
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...
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...
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.
Back in Buenos Aires, and it’s summer time so everything moves at half-speed. The heat has eased up over the last few days and that has made it more comfortable to move around. Still, whatever the weather, the cartoneros are present, winding their way through...