Born to turn trash into treasure
noticed a lot of abandoned used tyres and car parts littering the streets, and being someone who cares for the environment, I decided to recycle the trash into useful items.
“I collect worn out tyres, rims, shocks and springs, among other scraps and use them to make furniture, garden décor and novel versions of braais. Even though my core aspiration was to promote the value of recycling, lack of public education about recycling was a setback. I learnt bead work to make fashion bags and novelties, while exploring the manufacturing of cleaning products and signature essences for women and men to make up for any shortfalls in my enterprise. My bead work has become largely recognised to be of a high craftsmanship standard.”
This is an inspirational tale of Beauty Dorothy Hughes, who carves beautiful artefacts through recycling ‘end of life’ worn out wares such as tyres and scrap metal.
In scrap metal, she recycles worn out tractor disks, car rims and checker plates, among other things.
She has also made tremendous strides in making an environmental and economic impact through responsible green business practices, while focusing on using state-of-the-art technology to increase efficiency, quality and reduce costs for end users.
She believes that all output from the recycling process should be used in high-value applications— not incinerated.
She dreams to open a recycling plant in Manicaland by 2030.
“I am inspired to bring worn out wares back into the world. Recycling and re-purposing is in my blood. I am also into designing novelty beaded accessories from recycled plastic. Industry and manufacturers often produce more rubbish than I can actually repurpose to clean up the ever increasing environmental problems effectively. Some people are burning tyres, polluting the environment, while some are cutting down trees, harming the climate,” she said.
Hughes, who owns an entity, Dollar Deals Manufacturers, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Manicaland, in a development which will see her equipping inmates with skills and knowledge in the art, craft and design and be able to produce various artefacts.
She aims to continuously innovate and apply environment friendly technologies for conversion of waste into value-added products with the aim to maximise stakeholder value.
The development will play a critical role towards self- sustenance of the inmates. She has already started the ball rolling to impart the skills.She revealed in an interview recently that she is excited to work with the inmates.
“I am happy that the organisation is growing in leaps and bounds and the partnership with Manicaland will play a critical role in empowering the inmates.
“The inmates’ passion and zeal to learn is unbelievable. It motivates me to work with them as this will help them to sustain them after serving their sentences,” she said. Officer Commanding
in Manicaland, Commissioner Spetosomusa Chinobva, said such partnerships with stakeholders will go a long way in rehabilitating inmates.