Search Results for Tag: trash

Bhutan’s ‘trash guy’

Karma Yonten calls himself a “trash guy,” and one thing is certain: He is enthusiastic about waste. Growing up in Bhutan, a small, not very densely populated Himalayan kingdom, 29-year-old Karma never imagined himself working with garbage. There simply wasn’t any when he was young. But the country is developing fast, which opened up Karma to the idea of starting Bhutan’s first private waste management firm in 2010.

Now he teaches other people in his country all about recycling by offering them money in return for segregated waste and by teaching children about the value of it. He even owns a shirt made out of plastic bottles, especially imported from Japan, to show the extent of what is possible. “It makes them excited about waste,” Karma explains with a smile.

This report was supported in part by the Postcode Loterij Fonds for journalists by Free Press Unlimited.

Listen to the report by Aletta André in Timphu, Bhutan:

Bhutans trash guy

Every little bit counts (Photos: Aletta André)

Karma is proud of being known as the trash guy (Photo: Aletta André)

Karma has received numerous awards for his entrepreneurship and activism (Photo: Aletta André)

Date

Tuesday 17.09.2013 | 12:26

Tags

Asia, Bhutan, environment, recycling, trash, waste

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Turning trash into treasure

It’s a dirty but lucrative business. Solomon Tetteh works in the waste processing sector in Accra. He holds a university degree, but Solomon was not able to find a job. At first, his friends were not really supportive when he dreamed about building up his own business. Now, a year later, he is not only self-employed, he has also managed to create jobs for several garbage men, giving them the opportunity to support their families. Solomon also promotes environmental awareness in Ghana by distributing free garbage cans in schools. He wants young people to learn early how to separate garbage and leave the land clean.

Turning trash into treasure with a new business initiative

Solomen Tetteh has a knack of turning trash into treasure

Vist onmedia.dw.com/english to see Richard Ocloo, Janehin Stephen and Bazuaye Darryl’s video report about Solomon.

Date

Tuesday 15.11.2011 | 19:57

Tags

Accra, activism, business, Ghana, recycling, self-employment, Solomon Tetteh, trash, waste

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