Blankets for Bolivia - Students at Sheffield University recycle crisp packets to make blankets for Bolivian people
Last updated 10/18/2011 8:10:18 PM
Blankets for Bolivia
Students from the University of Sheffield have transformed the lives of Bolivian villagers by creating blankets made of recycled crisp packets, to prevent the rising number of hypothermia cases.
'Blankets for Bolivia' was the brainchild of a student who travelled to Bolivia and experienced some of the challenges that communities face, such as the bitter cold winter nights.
The aim of the project was to help women in La Paz and El Alto to become more self-sufficient in the face of environmental and economic challenges, by utilising local resources and skills for a general recycling scheme, which would provide a more substantial and consistent source of income to the community.
After developing a simple prototype using a bag sealing machine in the UK, the team sourced similar manufacturing equipment locally in Bolivia and got to work to establish the business, using funding from a generous alumni donation through the Department of Mechanical Engineering.The project engaged all of the community at various different stages.
Firstly, a crisp packet collection was set up to obtain the raw material for the blankets through the community recycling cooperative and a simple crisp packet collection at schools. The students also established a contract with local crisp packet manufacturer Estrella, who provided the raw materials for the blankets, ensuring that it was no longer a harmful and wasted resource.
A business was then set up to manufacture and sell the foil blankets, with training provided to the local women before the blankets were sold to community members, Non Government Organisations and schools. In addition, community members were made part of a health campaign to educate them on the symptoms of hypothermia, when and how to seek help and ways to protect themselves from the cold.The blankets were made by sealing recycled crisp packets together into sheets using the heat sealer. Crisp packets were chosen as the ideal material due to the fact their foil layer reflects and retains up to 97 per cent of body heat, while their plastic layer provides extra insulation and is waterproof, making the crisp packet blanket more effective than normal emergency blankets.
Student Aimee Clark said: "Blankets for Bolivia was a really impactful and hard hitting project for us. When we were in Bolivia we really saw the need for the blankets and for the women involved to have their own means of income. We developed a strong relationship with one woman in particular, Maria, who is the manager of the project, and who will always stay close to our hearts. Hopefully this business will be an inspiration to other women in Bolivia who want to improve their quality of life and that of the people around them in their community."