Plastic Bags into Placemats
Grâce Dotou founded her theatrical company in 1980 and called it “Qui dit Mieux” which means “Who can say it better”. They promote peace and concern for the environment through drama. Grâce was sick of seeing plastic bags strewn all over her neighborhood and decided to do something about it.
Now she and twenty other women in Benin crochet trash bags into dolls, scarves, handbags and place mats. Ten Thousand Villages sell Qui dit Mieux’s products and shown here is one of their recycled bag placemats.
Qui dit Mieux has expanded and now have 16 different workshops. NGOs have expressed interest and they continue to grow in other West African countries. In 2002, United Nations recognized Dotou with a Poverty Eradication Award. It’s amazing how the efforts of one person can expand and help the environment while providing income for many women.
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:14 am
[...] wrote an interesting post today on Plastic Bags into PlacematsHere’s a quick [...]
November 24th, 2007 at 11:34 am
[...] Houston Chronicle’s article on this story.) Ready to read more 451Press blogs? Try “Plastic Bags into Placemats” at GloballyGreenLiving.com or “Five Things Chevy is Doing Right Now to Help Us All Do [...]
March 29th, 2008 at 6:26 am
[...] read the Houston Chronicle’s article on this story.) Ready to read more 451Press blogs? Try “Plastic Bags into Placemats” at GloballyGreenLiving.com or “Five Things Chevy is Doing Right Now to Help Us All Do More and [...]