A green lifestyle can be achieved in obvious ways: By reducing consumption, reusing what you can, recycling, buying sustainable products when you buy new, and doing what you can to reduce your impact on the Earth in general. But if you ask anyone who truly understands the green movement, they will tell you that it’s about more than just that. It’s also about supporting fair trade and encouraging and rewarding the ingenuity and hard work of artisans from across the world.
These colorful wildlife sculptures offer the perfect opportunity to do so, all the while gaining a unique piece of art for your home. UniquEco Designs, a fair trade company based in Kenya, Africa, sells these colorful animals, offering workers in that region a viable way to earn a living. The sculptures are made of recycled flip flops, of which there is an abundant supply, removing them from the waste stream.
Local artisans search the shores for washed-up slippers, and the found pieces are glued together and hand carved into these amazing works of art. In addition to the elephant shown above, you can also get a hippo, rhino, water buffalo, and wild boar. Put them in your living room to serve as a reminder of what going green is really all about, or put them in your children’s room to serve as a lesson to them. Either way, you are supporting the cause of fair trade and taking steps toward greener living.
Why It’s Green:
- Made of recycled flip-flops, removing them from the waste stream
- Handmade
- Supports fair trade, since the company that sells them offers local artisans a viable way to earn a living
Price: $65 single, $260 for set of 5
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I’m Jennae Petersen, and I’m a lot of things. A mother, a graphic artist, a connosieur of beautiful interiors and a purveyor of all things design. Green Your Decor was borne of frustration in my attempts to find eco-friendly housewares that were also beautiful, and inspiration to do something to reduce my own carbon footprint and help others do the same in a beautiful way.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jennae,
Cool post – it’s amazing what some people think to do with what others consider trash (in this case used flip flops).
Peter
I’ve seen doormats made from used flip flops but not home decor doo-dads. Very cool!
Great post!! Thank you for sharing with your readers!
What a great idea! Their animals are a bit expensive but I’m inspired to make something of my own!
Organically Tvs last blog post..A humorous and eye opening short film about plastic bags