Seeing the beauty in waste not, want not

Creative maven, Nel Vuyk is turning ‘trash’ into cash.

Using a specialty paint and the expanse of her imagination, this recycling marvel is creating art from what others had consigned to the refuse heap.

Whether a bottle, CD or egg carton, Nel is giving non-recyclables a second life.

“It started about three years ago, when my sister stayed with me for a year. She hosted a class where they were taught with a glue-type paint called Tokreen.”

Together, Nel and her sister began experimenting with non-recyclable materials, including disks, files and various kinds of plastic.

What began as a hobby has since transformed into supplementary income.

“I’ve had several orders for coated baby shoes, something to hold onto. It’s still a hobby for my weekends, and if it sells, it sells.”

Nurturing a healthy love of recycling, Nel said she found this new extension more interesting.

It put a smile on her face.

“I go to the garage and the warehouse and find new inspiration. The big thing is re-using discarded items.”

With the recycling depot as her ‘main meal ticket’, Nel loves the concept of transforming refuse into something lasting, and enjoys the challenge of her alternative art.

She has numerous projects in varying stages of completion.

“The time it takes to finish a piece depends on its size and the weather – if it’s sunny, the paint dries quickly so it can take as little as a day. In winter, it dries indoors so it takes a few days.”

Nel is working on her favourite piece, wall art made from advertising materials, T-shirts, boards and more, to include an egg carton flower.

“I normally use black paint as the base, with colours in the next layer to give the pieces a copper-ish look.”

All you need to become an ‘up-cycler’ (a person who reuses discarded materials to create a product of higher quality or value), all you need is the paint, a brush.

Add imagination to the mix, and let the crafting begin.

“If possible, take a class, and let your imagination run wild!”

Nel’s creative work ties very much into recycling.

In Newcastle, she explained private households were not really into it, as it took time to drop waste materials off at the depot.

Conversely, recycling is ingrained in the fabric of urban European life.

“There is definite room for improvement.”

While businesses formed the majority of local recycling, Nel believes the communal attitude towards the concept has to change.

Only in this way, she said, could the planet be saved.

“We must clean up our world – we have a responsibility to ourselves to tidy up this mess.”

Recycling is all about education, and it remains important to realise how many resources can be spared by re-using instead of throwing away.

Nel said humankind had to realise what was at stake.

“We must realise what is going on. Recycling saves on landfill space, and that’s what I’m trying to achieve.”

Faced with global challenges like falling world markets and un-recyclable ‘e-waste’, Nel believes it ever important for residents to understand what they were consuming.

Buying according to recycling potential is just one aspect.

“I don’t buy carton milk because it is hard to recycle. The idea of recycling is awareness, so we all need to wake up.”