It was a common sight in the rural areas; people collecting used items like cans, tins and plastic items in good condition, in exchange for money or other valuable things. I remember how we’d stock up on our empty cans, plastic bottles and broken bowls, waiting for the arrival of the woman who usually came for them. That was the Nigerian version of recycling. I’m not exactly sure what they do with it but I suspect they sell the items off to scrap metal collectors.
Even though modern day recycling is yet to catch on in Nigeria, I’m pretty certain we are master recyclers in this country. It’s almost impossible not to find recycled items, even if it’s just a used carton. My personal favourite are cans. They can be used for storage, planting, as item holders, and even centerpieces. You can turn a used can into a recycled, beautiful piece in very easy steps.
Items Needed
Used can
Clean piece of cloth
Spray paint
Flat surface
Directions
- Take a piece of clean cloth and clean out your can. Ensure that there are no bits or pieces of the previous content left. If you need to make any alterations to the size or shape of the can, or you want to make some holes, you can do it now.
- Using the spray paint in any colour of your choice, carefully spray your can till all areas are well covered. Be careful not to touch an already painted spot. If you do not need the cover, you can remove it before spraying. Otherwise, spray all over, from top to bottom.
- Once you are done painting, set your can on a flat surface and let it dry.
- As soon as the paint is dry, your can is ready to be used for its new purpose.
Cans that used to contain dry items are most preferred, but you can use any can of your choice depending on what you need it for. It is not advisable to use an already used can to store food items apart from the one it initially came with. This is so that the chemicals that were used in coating the can does not affect the new food item that you are putting inside.
A lot of cans and tins are lined with plastic after a layer of metal coating these days. This is to prevent the acid from food contents from coming in contact with the metal and making the can rust or contaminating the food. This plastic lining contains Bisphenol A (BPA), which is considered toxic, especially in large amounts. This is the reason why you should not store a different kind of food in a can that it did not come with.
Baby foods, processed food and vegetables, milk and beverages are just a few of household items that come in cans. So next time you have a empty can of large size Milo beverage, remember it could just be a foot stool waiting to happen.
About the author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)
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This article was first published on 29th October 2014
Comments (0)
It was a common sight in the rural areas; people collecting used items like cans, tins and plastic items in good condition, in exchange for money or other valuable things. I remember how we’d stock up on our empty cans, plastic bottles and broken bowls, waiting for the arrival of the woman who usually came for them. That was the Nigerian version of recycling. I’m not exactly sure what they do with it but I suspect they sell the items off to scrap metal collectors.
Even though modern day recycling is yet to catch on in Nigeria, I’m pretty certain we are master recyclers in this country. It’s almost impossible not to find recycled items, even if it’s just a used carton. My personal favourite are cans. They can be used for storage, planting, as item holders, and even centerpieces. You can turn a used can into a recycled, beautiful piece in very easy steps.
Items Needed
Used can
Clean piece of cloth
Spray paint
Flat surface
Directions
