From recycling to upcycling: The budding industry of things we throw out

Kamal Miah, a scrap dealer based in Kallyanpur, Dhaka, has followed in his father's footsteps, dedicating his life to the trade. Every morning, he ventures into the neighbourhood, collecting scrap materials from local residents. 

His purchases are measured and priced by weight: books at Tk15 per kilogram, newspapers at Tk30, metal at Tk42, cartons at Tk10, and plastic bottles at Tk30. In the evening, different buyers visit his shop to purchase the sorted scrap at slightly higher rates, usually earning Kamal no more than a Tk3 profit per kilogram.

In the country's scrap industry, recycling of metal, plastic, and glass has long been the dominant practice. However, with advancements in technology and the rising demand for unique and sustainable products, upcycling has begun to make its mark. 

Upcycled glass items are now trending in kitchenware, while metal products are being repurposed for decorative purposes.

While recycling involves breaking down materials to their raw form for reuse in creating new products, upcycling creatively repurposes waste items into higher-quality or more valuable goods without breaking them down.

"Sorting used to be very straightforward, even five years ago, mainly four categories: paper, metal, glass and plastic. I would only separate books from the paper pile because there has long been a distinct market for old books, handled by specialised buyers," Kamal shared.

Recently, however, the demand for sorted and specific materials has increased. For instance, there is now a market for sorted glass jars — a material he previously avoided.

"I never dealt with used glass products before. They're heavy, troublesome to transport, and sold for a meagre Tk10 per kilogram. It wasn't worth the hassle," he explained.

Now, the scenario has changed. Kamal actively collects and resells glass jars in all shapes and sizes, whether they are jam or jelly jars, chic Nutella containers, or large ketchup bottles. 

"I usually get these jars for free from households when I buy other items, as they come in small quantities," Kamal explained. "If someone has a bulk supply, I purchase them by the kilogram. After sorting, I sell them to buyers at prices ranging from Tk5 to Tk20 per piece, depending on their size and quality."

Just a few weeks ago, a buyer purchased around 20 rickshaw wheels, saying he planned to use them for restaurant decor. It seems every abandoned item finds a market these days," he added, emphasising, "The more organised the scraps, the better deals we secure.

Kamal said that he has heard about a growing demand for these jars but does not fully understand how the market operates.

To explore further, we met one of Kamal's buyers, Sabur Uddin, the proprietor of Sabur Trading, located on Mazar Road in Mirpur. Sabur has built an extensive business network, with around 50 scrap dealers supplying him daily. He primarily deals in metal and glass.

"Previously, all glass items were sold to glass mills for recycling," Sabur shared. "But now, I've found new buyers who clean and resell these jars in marketplaces."

Sabur also actively collects various metal items, ranging from the bases of rickshaw wheels to small screws. 

"Just a few weeks ago, a buyer purchased around 20 rickshaw wheels, saying he planned to use them for restaurant decor. It seems every abandoned item finds a market these days," he added, emphasising, "The more organised the scraps, the better deals we secure."

Nearby, Mohammad Shahjahan, another scrap dealer who specialises in paper and cartons, shared a similar trend in his line of work. 

"Recently, I've gained two new clients from the event management industry who buy high-quality cartons for decor purposes every other month," he revealed.

The market of reused jars

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, homegrown small businesses have flourished, with many individuals exploring creative ventures. 

Home chefs have tapped into selling specialty products like pickles, sauces, and condiments, while artisans have found unique ways to express their creativity, including creating art on used glass bottles.

This surge in small-scale entrepreneurship has also created a niche demand for sustainable packaging solutions, including used glass jars. On the Facebook marketplace, numerous pages and groups have emerged where individuals can buy or sell glass jars, either in their original form or as creatively upcycled products.

At Collection House BD, you will find all types of glass jars at a reasonable price, starting from Tk20 to Tk400.

"Under our strict supervision, our vendor collects and washes these used jars. They remove the metal or plastic caps from the jars and add new ones," said a customer representative of the company.

The representative also said they strongly advocate sterilising the bottles before using them.

For entrepreneurs like Nupur Akter, the owner of the Roshui page, these affordable options are a game-changer. 

"When I started my pickle business in 2021, I sourced new jars from New Market at Tk20-50 each. Now, I can find jars at half the price through these platforms," she shared.

Artists like Bidita Shaha, a glass painter and owner of the page Akaakikori, also benefit from these resources. "I used to rely on empty bottles from drinks like Moolicious or imported ones from superstores. Now, I can purchase them in bulk at a fraction of the cost," she said.

Additionally, businesses have begun repurposing these bottles for indoor gardening. Used imported liquor glass bottles aro being sold as water containers. 

The second life of condensed milk containers

Omar Ali runs a thriving tea stall in Mirpur's bustling 60 Feet area. While he does not keep track of the exact number of cups sold daily, he estimates using at least 20 containers of condensed milk every day to cater to his customers.

Condensed milk cans are collected from all over the city, cleaned and then flattened to shape them into coil stands.

Until last year, Omar would bundle the empty tinplate containers with other metal scraps and sell them to scrap dealers by weight. However, he has shifted to selling them per piece, fetching Tk1.5 to Tk2 each.

"This is  a very good deal for me. And I get more than double the amount than before," he said.

So, where do the milk containers go?

A growing demand has emerged for upcycling these containers into practical household items, particularly mosquito coil stands. 

In an earlier conversation, entrepreneur Rakib Khan spoke about his coil stand factory, located in the capital's Jatrabari. They produce around 100,000 coil stands every day using the condensed milk containers. 

Rakib buys the containers for Tk2.5 per piece and uses only three simple machines to make the stands.

"The production is straightforward. We source the condensed milk cans from all over the city, clean off the plastic labels, and then flatten the metal sheets to shape them into coil stands," he explained. "This is a simple yet profitable business that anyone can consider."