Most Kenyans like reading newspapers but what happens after you are done with it?
Some people throw them away, others use them to light fires while others keep them in their houses but a duo has found a new way of turning this trash into ornaments.
Richard Mutie, 28, and a Fine Art graduate and his brother Kennedy Mutisya, an accountant by profession, have been in the recycling business for four years despite their professions and they cannot regret. After his education, Richard decided to join his mother who was in a hotel industry and also in recycling industry unknown to him that this would change his career.
“I loved anything to do with arts and I was not so keen on other industries. My aim was to start my workshop for fine arts but I must admit I am now full time in recycling and am happy,” he said.
When his brother Kennedy finished his education their mother introduced them to Acholi community in Uganda, a community which makes ornaments using waste papers and after two weeks of training they had attained the required knowledge to make this ornaments and they were ready to venture into this business.
“I loved the idea of recycling paper because it conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and keeps landfill space free for other types of trash that can't be recycled,” he said.
Venturing into this business was not hard because their raw material was readily available and since it was a new business people used to give them out for free. Despite this positive reaction by the community around them some people mocked them telling them that their business was a dirty one and a non-profitable one.
As the saying goes “practice makes perfect” the duo perfected their artistic profession and they are now making unique and quality ornaments for sale both locally and internationally.
“We are in the unsexy business of trash, and we're growing in the unsexy way of bootstrapping. But I think you'll see more companies like us in few years to come,” he said.
Richards explained that since sometimes especially during festive seasons they have orders in bulk they contract Acholi community to make the ornaments but they provide them with raw materials while when the orders are fewer they make the ornaments themselves in their home at Zimmerman.
Currently, the duo makes ornaments which they sell at Sh50 per piece, stuffed animals and they sell them at a cost of between Sh100 to Sh350, dancers which goes for Sh350 and bags and most of the articles they use are recycled and they sell their products in Masaai market.
“At first we used to collect used papers from our neighbours but as the business grows we also buy from other people from different areas who have them in bulk,” he said.
His advice to youths is that they should utilize materials around them and stop waiting for white collar jobs which are rare to find nowadays and for those who have talents they should also utilise them fully and they should not give up.