Architect empowers rural communities by turning rubbish into 'treasure'

By Olivia Miwil - June 21, 2019 @ 1:20pm

Tressie Yap, 46 speaks about upcycling. Pix by NSTP/Edmund Samunting

KOTA KINABALU: Tressie Yap has a rather odd but fantastic way of empowering rural communities. And, it’s even doing wonders for the environment!

All she is doing is teaching people there, people whom she has found are extremely talented in producing handicraft, to turn trash into “treasure”.

For the past 10 years, the architect has been practising a zero-waste lifestyle, from harvesting rainwater and making compost to wearing refashioned secondhand clothing.

Then, six years ago, the 47-year-old came across a village in Kota Belud which was an absolute eyesore.

“As a designer, I volunteered myself to train the community there, who are mostly women, to convert waste into something that would be trendy and have commercial value.

“Till now, they are still collecting used plastic to turn them into handbags,” she said, adding that each bag takes about three days to be completed and is sold at RM65.

Yap said the “upcycling” community project did not only provide side income for the women but also helped to reduce the burning of plastic, which emits toxic gas into the air.

Generally, the practice of burning rubbish is still common in areas where there are no contractors assigned to collect waste.

Recently, Yap also helped to teach communities in Papar to weave plastic into holders for coffee takeaway glass jars for a cafe in Kuala Lumpur, provided a job opportunity for an autistic girl to sew used clothing into goodie bags for a corporation; and guided the Sabah Society for the Deaf in making ornaments from used coffee capsules.

As an artist, she also designs bracelets, earrings and necklaces using flip flops, tossed wires, electrical components and bottle caps, among others.

Despite these products being made of trash, Yap puts a high price on them as each is handmade and is an exclusive design.

“(It is not just about the) products, but also the design and most importantly, the concept that waste can be turned into treasure,” she said, adding that some of the products are sold at an art gallery in Ampang, Selangor, the Zero Waste store in Jalan Petaling in Kuala Lumpur as well as Kadaiku retail shop here.

Yap remains hopeful that by consistently sharing the zero-waste lifestyle with others, there will be changes in the future.

“Some say that instead of upcycling, we should follow Singapore and use incinerators to dispose of waste, especially plastic, as the ultimate solution for waste management.

“However, we have yet to reach that level and have that kind of advanced technology. Therefore, it is better for us to be more practical and one of these ways is through upcycling.”