Vihiga Man Turns Passion For Environment To Business Of Recycling Abandoned Tyres Into Furniture

• For many, used car tyres are trash that should be burned, but for Hillary Goodluck from Vihiga, it is the equivalent of gold
• This is due to the fact that the creative artist recycles abandoned tyres and bottles into magnificent furniture, footwear, bags, and poufs
• He discovered this line of self-employment after graduating from college and struggling to secure employment

When Hillary Goodluck graduated from the Technical University of Mombasa with a degree in Community Development and Counseling Psychology, he hoped to get a job.

It is only when the 34-year-old from Vihiga hit the job market that it dawned on him things are not as easy as he had envisioned.

Makes artefacts from waste tyres

Hillary told TUKO.co.ke that the need to eke a living before sinking into hopelessness made him go back to the drawing board.

"I realised that people throw away old car tyre trash all over and if not for a kid to play with, it has to be burned regardless of how much pollution it causes," he started.

It was an eureka moment that made him to think out of the box on how he could turn the tyre menace into an idea that was unique and long lasting.

He, therefore, decided to venture into the business of recycling old tyres into usable pieces of art, mostly furniture and landscaping materials.

Trash tyres to treasure furniture

The creative man disclosed that his artefacts are made out of polythene papers, old car tyres and plastic bottles.

He also infuses old fabrics into other products on his line, among them shoes, bags, poufs, jewellery, and wall decor.

Hillary says he knew he was cut for this art when he displayed his creations during the innovation conference at KICC and emerged tops.

He remembered with nostalgia a doll he presented, which he had made from polythene paper, made him the event's favorite.

"I won and had the chance to compete on the East African level in Burundi. I interacted with other people while in Burundi and learned a lot,” he recalled.

Abandoned tyres are bae

When he came back home from Burundi, he had not only expanded his skills but was also ready to go official with the business.

For Hillary, every abandoned tyre or wine bottle is gold for him, as he is able to turn the "waste" into money for his pockets.

“I get an advantage whenever people dump old tyres because what they consider garbage is raw materials for me. It is cost-effective,” he said proudly.

Interestingly, all his products are hand-made, which means that each and every artefact that leaves his workshop has his human touch.

Whereas Hillary makes breathtaking pieces of decor, he still grapples with finding markets because not many locals have opened up to his craft.

"Most people in Kenya are more into the normal furniture, and those who show interest always want the lowest prices for labour or services," he lamented.

Profitable trash

In another story, a Kenyan scrap metal dealer revealed that he was minting millions from recycling metallic waste.

One of the Mombasa-based scrap metal dealer said that he makes averagely KSh 5,000 a day from buying and reselling metallic wastes.

The dealer disclosed that he makes huge profits from selling large containers like broken water tanks which he resells to tank manufactures.