Plastic jerrycan waste turned into carpets

Plastic containers in Ghana have been made into carpets to draw attention to a waste problem.

Containers known as jerrycans are widely used in the West African nation, but many of them are thrown away and pollute the environment, often blocking waterways. Serge Attukwei Clottey, founder of the Ghana GoLokal collective has found a way of making plastic carpets out of the containers.

Clottey finds the containers on the beach and waste sites and converts them to works of art and the plastic carpets. He wants to raise awareness of the waste plastic issue, and says:

“It’s not just about collecting plastics, but sending a powerful message back to manufacturers: waste is becoming a problem every single day.”

The plastic carpet is not designed to be a replacement for standard carpets. By installing the carpet in public spaces that are visible to lots of people, he is drawing attention to the issue in a dramatic way. He wants manufacturers of plastic items to care about where the plastic objects end up, says that his carpets ‘hijack’ public spaces to showcase his work and his message.

Many floor covering manufactures are including recycled waste materials in their flooring materials. Some laminates and LVT are made with a proportion of recycled materials. Wood can be recycled and used for wood floors.

It is unlikely that plastic carpets in Chester rooms will be available soon, but new floor coverings can be bought that use recycled or sustainable materials to minimise the effect on the environment.