The students at Chang Rigphel Lower Secondary School in Olakha, Thimphu organized a clean-up campaign to collect plastic waste in their community in response to the growing problem of plastic pollution. They collected plastic bags and wrappers from around the school and riverside. The students then cleaned, cut, and wove the plastic strips into colorful mats and backrests, transforming trash into usable products. Their initiative followed the motto "One man's trash could be another man's treasure" and helped clean the environment while recycling plastic waste.

1. ONE MAN’S TRASH COULD BE ANOTHER
MAN’S TREASURE
Design for Change
Chang Rigphel Lower Secondary School
Olakha, Thimphu

2. Introduction
The problem of plastic litter is only growing. Plastic is the fastest-growing component of the waste
stream, and plastic pollution like single-use bags are among the most commonly found items during
campus and river cleanups. Because plastic essentially never biodegrades, once littered plastic becomes
a permanent environmental problem.
Plastic bags are a true menace to our ecosystems
Landfill in Memeylakha
Plastic litter in Olakha
The students of Chang Rigphel Lower Secondary School, Olakha, Thimphu feeling the ever
increasing problem of plastic trash in the community, conceived an idea of collecting them
and developing into usable products thereby helping to clean the environment and
recycling the trash.
The motto of the collective action “One man’s trash could be another man’s treasure”

3. Students participating in the clean up campaign and collected plastics
from the settlement around the school and the river side.

4. Students, parents and teachers organized clean
up campaign and collect plastics from the
settlement around the school and the river side.

5. Students clean the plastics
wrappers, dry and make it
ready for cutting.

6. Boys cut the clean and dry plastic wrappers
into thin strips.

7. Girls cut the clean and dry plastic wrappers into thin
strips

8. Students collect the plastic strips ready to be woven

9. Students learn to weave the cut stripes of plastic wrappers
into colorful mat

10. Students learn and help each other to weave plastic mats

11. The final product…plastic trash transformed into a
beautiful round sitting mat and backrest

13. BRAVO……we succeeded in reusing the trash
and cleaning our surrounding