Washed up FlipFlops

Here's a bit of good news. We've all seen them. Discarded flip flops washed up on beaches. Well, in several places around the world like Kenya and the Philippines they are collected and crafted into doormats and toys the sales of which are actually supporting many local economies. Here's the info below:

Flip flops: Inexpensive. Everywhere. Easily replaceable. But where do old flip flops go when they die? And what happens to the excess foam rubber from flip flop factories? There is actually an interesting (and sustainable) answer out there.

Many products on WorldofGood.com are made by cleaning and reusing material that were discarded as trash. Colorful handmade doormats keep foam rubber wastes out of landfills by transforming them into tough but lightweight doormats. The mats are lightweight and durable, constructed by hand using galvanized metal and scrap flip flops that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

Here's another scenario you can read about: On the islands of the Lamu Archipelago, off Kenya’s northern coast in the Indian Ocean, artisans use flip flop debris that washes up on the shore to make crafts - useful ones, too, including handbags, lampshades, hair clips, necklaces, toys, and curtains.

These upcycled flip flop products are an inspiring glimpse into the small yet important solutions to the giant issue of marine debris.