Woman, 50, turns trash into treasure
On any given afternoon in the Binde and Nakpanduri communities in the North East Region, you are likely to spot a 50-year-old woman with a sack slung over her shoulder and stooping to pick up what most people would not think twice about — discarded plastic bottle lids.
While others see the plastic bottle lids as trash littering the dusty paths and drinking spots of the areas, Abugri Ajabow sees them as treasure.
The Binde and Nakpanduri communities have long been struggling with plastic waste pollution.
Empty water sachets, broken bottles and scattered lids are piled up around local bars and shops, clogging drains and dirtying the streets. Unlike in cities, the district has no recycling company to collect and process this waste.
But instead of waiting for help that may never come, Ajabow decided to do something about it.
Back at her modest home in Bindi, she drills holes through the colourful lids and threads them together with sturdy string.
Afterwards, she weaves them into beads, necklaces, and cymbals, traditional adornments worn by dancers during cultural celebrations across the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri Traditional Area.
Her creations have caught the eye of local dance groups and traditional leaders, who now request her unique crafts to decorate performers during festivals and social gatherings, blending sustainability with cultural pride.
Income generation
Interacting with the Daily Graphic, Ms Ajabow said she earns income from the craft, which contributes to her family's upkeep.
Some plastic bottle lids picked by the woman for art
“It has become my business, I go around and gather them, and sometimes I ask for them at the drinking spots; that’s where I can get plenty to work with.”
“There is pleasure in gathering the bottle lids. I am never shy about it.
When I see them lying around, I just pick them up and put them to use,” she said.
Aside from the economic benefits, she said her interest was also to keep the environment clean due to the negative impact of plastics on the environment.
Innovation
Environmental experts say her initiative was a clear example of community-driven innovation addressing the indiscriminate plastic waste pollution.
An Environmental Specialist at the Department for Environment and Sustainability Science at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr Dzigbodi Doke, lauded the 50-year-old woman for the innovation.
She believes that more communities need innovative solutions like that to help deal with the menace of plastic waste pollution.
She stressed the need to initiate local awards to reward creativity and community-led action to tackle waste.
Environmental risk
Dr Doke pointed out that careless disposal of plastic waste was putting communities like Nakpanduri at risk.
“Scientific results indicate that plastic can cause cancers, disrupt hormones, and lead to reproductive, growth and cognitive issues.
Plastic waste is not just unsightly — it’s dangerous to human health,” she explained.
She added that proper recycling reduces the amount of plastic that ends up littering streets and choking the environment.
Plastics, she noted, could be transformed into many useful products that generate income and keep communities clean.
The Environmental Specialist further called on local leaders and district assemblies to enact and enforce bylaws that discourage littering and promote responsible waste disposal.
Reactions
Reacting to innovation, a resident of Binde, Alhassan Adam, said, “I really admire what she is doing.
Before, these bottle lids were everywhere.
Now people know its value so sometimes they gather them for her instead of throwing them away.”
Another resident, Mabel Danaa said she had shown them that waste could be turned into something useful.
