The design of Zibal-T was an iterative process of different interventions that ranged from civic art in an affluent neighborhood’s social club, to up-cycled plastic bags, and a social media platform.
Stuffed Toy created by Women at A.P.E
Civic art sketch
intervention 1
After spending time in the field in Manshiyet Nassir, where the Zabaleen reside, separate, and recycle collected trash, I developed an idea around a non-government organization (NGO), the Association for the Protection of the Environment (A.P.E.)’s established workshops. This organization empowers women to generate income through rug weaving, patchwork, and paper recycling products. At these workshops, the women of the community create arts and crafts from recyclable material that they are able to sell for a small profit. However, they are only able to create small numbers of these items, and therefore, there is no tangible profitable benefit for the Zabaleen community. Funding, marketing, and advertising strategies are required in order to elevate craft making as a profitable solution for the Zabaleen.
intervention 2
This civic art intervention was designed as creation of a large tree with its base and branches made from plastic bottles and its leaves made from cardboard paper, plastic bags, and tin cans. The tree is placed on a truck to allow for mobility throughout the community in order to expose more people to the intervention.
Members of the affluent communities will invite people to reflect on the tree, which results in the initiation of conversations about recycling. Representatives then encourage the residents to dismantle the tree, take the plastic bottles, fill the bottles with earth and seeds, and plant the seeds that will grow in their surrounding environment.
While this civic art project would be an effective intervention for the Zamalek Association’s public relations goals, these goals are short-sighted. The tree only serves to raise awareness and would be a one-time initiative. Furthermore, the Association failed to follow through with other public relations initiatives. The Zabaleen need a long-term solution that shows the benefits of their work and highlights their ability to build capacity.
Bags by UP-FUSE, an eco-design start-up that up-cycles plastic bags into high-quality accessories and pocketbooks.
Intervention 3
I learned about UP-FUSE, an eco-design start-up that up-cycles plastic bags into high-quality accessories and pocketbooks. During an interview with one of the UP-FUSE founders, I learned that finding a market for their products is a struggle as the products are considered overpriced. In general, with limited resources, mass producing goods from recycled material in order to make a profit is too challenging for the Zabaleen.
The one intervention that resonated most for the Zabaleen was the on-demand trash collection app: Zibal-T. Accessing new customers provides a more sustainable income for the Zabaleen while answering the residents’ waste management needs.