Blog
Tag: #Awareness
A Christmas Story by Buy Food with Plastic
It is Advent, and the air is clear, not only from the snow, but from a purity that flows from the hearts of the people. A silence reigns on the streets, one that is not empty, but full of meaning. Here, nothing superfluous remains. Julia sits on a bench in a community park that was once a landfill. Back then, this place would have smelled of decay, of the end of things. But today, there is life here. Children play among trees that have grown from the compost of old waste. A group of craftspeople repairs tools that no one throws away anymore, because nothing needs to be replaced—everything can be renewed. Julia looks at the scene before her and...
Plastic bottles: a suitable breeding ground for malaria mosquitoes
Ms. Bosomtwe, a resident of the village of Dwabor in Ghana, where Buy Food with Plastic has been active for 4 years, knows exactly how dangerous empty plastic bottles are to the environment. Mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as malaria nest in the bottles and multiply quickly in the village. Water collects in the discarded plastic bottles, in which the mosquitoes can lay their eggs in an ideally protected environment. This makes plastic bottles breeding grounds for mosquitoes. In addition to the residents of Dwabor, Ghana, several studies have also made similar observations (Fobil, 2000; Yintii et al., 2014). Thanks to the work of Buy Food with Plastic, the villagers can regularly hand in their plastic bottles. These bottles are...
Positive Change: Learn Jenner's Story
Imagine landing in Nicaragua, a Central American country full of breathtaking natural beauty. You step into the role of Jenner, a seven-year-old boy from the Pacific coastal region. The beauty of your surroundings is unparalleled—but there is a problem: mountains of trash, plastic bottles, and packaging pile up everywhere in your community, with no one to dispose of them. There is no waste management system, harming the environment and the country's beauty. But you have no energy to deal with it, because your biggest concern is simply surviving. Sometimes you are lucky enough to get a warm meal. But often your plate remains empty, and you go to bed hungry. One day, your sister tells you about a "Buy Food...
Raju's Personal Story
Our educational community events build on the encounters between the local population and our local teams, through which we are entrusted with many personal stories. Many of you are acting on the impact that the social environmental project of Buy Food with Plastic has on people's lives. These personal stories are particularly close to our hearts. They prove that development cooperation is successful for the common good and the environment. Our entire team draws inspiration from these stories, which is why today we can share Raju Kumar's personal story with you. Raju grows up in the Chamunda Nagar slum in Mumbai, where plastic waste is ubiquitous. But it was only through an awareness workshop by Buy Food with Plastic,...
Peter Bolliger raises CHF 67,000 in donations
Peter Bolliger is an adventurer who shares his experiences in video format on social media. Peter encountered Buy Food with Plastic earlier. When we moved into the Charity Gallery, the room was still under construction. We had no water, no electricity, and the walls were bare and grey. Anna and Khalil remembered a former schoolmate who currently ran a paint shop. They contacted him, and he, Daniel Galantucci and the company founder of the Hampel Gruppe, Ramon Hampel visited the Charity Gallery. In the following weeks, they painted the walls of the Charity Gallery white without asking for payment. Ramon didn't stop there, though. A few weeks later, Anna, Khalil, Ramon and Peter sat together in a video call. Peter was...
Even a small hummingbird can make a difference
There is a legend that has inspired our members, supporters, and participants again and again since the idea for our organization first emerged. It was told to co-founder Khalil as he traveled from hostel to hostel to turn his idea of exchanging meals for plastic bottles into a reality. At the Cafe con lege hostel, Khalil met Erwin, a French tourist. Erwin sat comfortably in his armchair in the hostel lobby, listening to Khalil’s stories as he searched for participants for the first Buy Food with Plastic event. The plan reminded him of a story: “You are like the hummingbird. An event may only be a drop on a hot stone, but even that creates steam and many small drops...
Our recycling plant and factory in India
In October 2023, we opened the doors to a place in India that is much more than just a workshop – a real milestone for the local team and our mission at Buy Food with Plastic. Imagine walking into the room. Many lamps illuminate the room and make it bright and welcoming. In addition, the sun shines through the glass door. Air conditioning and ceiling fans make for a pleasant working environment. Instead of the drab white of most walls, your eyes meet a soft aquamarine. None of your steps fall in dirt. At first, this sounds pretty unremarkable, but at second glance, it is a big difference. As soon as you step into the workshops next door, you are...
From plastic waste to a picnic blanket—and much more!
In addition to the bottle caps we have collected, we also upcycle the collected sachets from Ghana. Sachets are small plastic bags filled with water, juices, or milk. They are popular because they are cheaper than drinks in plastic bottles. Unfortunately, after use by the local population in Ghana, they are often carelessly discarded. But at our Buy Food with Plastic Community Events in Ghana, they get a second chance – and a new purpose. Here, people exchange 30 used sachets - or 20 plastic bottles - for a hot meal. This makes the environment cleaner, while also providing them with something to eat. But our environmental project does not end there. For us, sustainability means creating a cycle in which plastic...
The Swiss Lid Collection Campaign
The story of Buy Food with Plastic is built on many encounters between two people. Encounters were often the beginning of a new idea, a new perspective, or a new point of view. So it could not be otherwise than that another encounter led us onto new paths: Khalil had the special opportunity to exchange in Sweden with various other small environmental and aid organizations. During this week, we met the son of the former Bulgarian president. He told us about an impressive initiative in Bulgaria: There, people collect plastic caps and donate them to a non-profit organization. This organization sells the caps to recycling partners and uses the proceeds to equip hospitals with important equipment such as incubators. This...
The Journey of a Plastic Bottle
Hans Christian Andersen once wrote a story about the life of a glass bottle. The famous author called his story “The Bottle Neck” at the time. In this story, the reader follows the life of a glass bottle. It began in a glass factory, spent several years in the cellar of a winery, and was eventually opened at a wedding. The empty bottle was carelessly thrown on the ground, where a junk dealer picked it up. He sold it to a hostel owner, who filled it with medicinal liquid. Eventually, however, the bottle broke. But that was not the end. In a glass factory, it was transformed into something new: a stained-glass window. Its journey ended when it was installed...