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BAHRAINI couple Amer Buhussain and Fedaa Tawfeeq are proving that environmental sustainability and growing greenery are achievable - one can at a time.
The founders of the unregistered community-based group YesWeCan have turned tins, aluminium cans, plastic tubs and buckets into pretty planters for aloe vera and cacti to help nature-lovers create greener spaces, while also raising funds for Cleanup Bahrain’s tree planting project.
“About 36 billion aluminium cans end up in landfills globally every year and less than five per cent of them are recycled, compared with the global average of 63pc” said Fedaa, a co-founder of a Japanese-inspired food service company. “Our aim is to create awareness about how easy it is to upcycle materials, rather than discard them as waste which end up in a landfill.”
The upcycling concept came about when they ran out of planters themselves while gardening. They had only taken an interest in the outdoor hobby a year ago after moving into their new home in Hamala.
“Our cactus and aloe vera plants were easy to propagate due to the suitable environment for these types of succulents in Bahrain,” said Amer, an associate director in a business development team. “Upon further reading, we found that aloe plants are actually native to the Arabian Gulf. We wanted to grow more aloe and create awareness about their uses and benefits.
“One evening, while we were gardening, we ran out of plastic pots and then realised that we could use cans instead.
“We formed a habit of keeping our cans and soon we had a large inventory to use as planters. Family and friends expressed interest in purchasing our planters and we realised we may have an opportunity to upcycle cans in a feasible manner. We formed a logo and Instagram page and set out to raise awareness about our cause.”
The cans and material are washed to ensure an ideal growing environment for succulents while gardeners utilise high-quality compost, peat moss and perlite for plants.
The duo were also recently supported by the Yousif and Aysha Almoayyed Foundation with more than 3,000 aloe plants donated for their green-cause. The caring couple donates 25 per cent of the proceeds from their planters to Cleanup Bahrain to continue beautifying Bahrain’s landscapes.
“The Tree Planting Project aims to contribute towards Bahrain’s national environment strategy to double the country’s green spaces,” said Amer. “Cleanup Bahrain has planted more than a thousand trees across various areas in collaboration with government entities and the private sector.”
Those who wish to donate their used cans can contact @yeswecan_bh on Instagram.
