Byron Shire Echo October 3, ArticlesOld Mullum High boys recycle in BoliviaThree local friends who attended Mullumbimby High School together recently left their jobs, families and friends behind in Australia and relocated to
south america
to set up and manage a non profit charity project called 3Cycle. Luke Wright, Paul Tansley and Ben Fuller make up the 3Cycle team and are currently living in Bolivia a little known land-locked country that is the poorest in South America. The project is based in the city of La Paz, one of the highest cities in the world at almost 4,m above sea level. The trio left their successful careers in Australia to combine their love of travel with the ability to make a difference for the people and environment in an underprivileged nation. 3Cycle takes industrial and household wastes and employs disadvantaged Bolivians to use these materials to create unique products such as bags, wallets, jewellery, clothes, and artworks for export world wide. The constant build up of rubbish is a huge problem world wide, especially in developing nations like Bolivia and it also goes without saying that poverty is a specific use and often a magical power associated with it. Some of these Aguayos are currently on display and available for sale at the Corroboree Gallery in Byron Bay. Every Aguayo has been authenticated by the Museum Curator at the Museo de Arte Textiles Museum of Textiles in La Paz, Bolivia. A Certicate of Authenticity is provided with every sale. Drop in to the Corroboree Gallery in the Community Centre in Jonson Street to see for yourself, or see www. lapazindependent.net for more information on Aguayos. The local team is also sourcing other unique South American products for companies around the world and donating half of the prots back to the 3Cycle charity project. We have found there are lots of people and companies wanting access to the unique and affordable products available here in South America, said Ben Fuller. In the interests of helping fund the 3Cycle project we are sourcing all sorts of things for companies around the world, ranging from Alpaca wool products to jewellery, clothing and anything in between. If youre interested in knowing more about the 3Cycle project, the Aguayos or any of the other South American products they can source contact info lapazindependent.net or visit The 3Cycle team, from left, Ben Fuller, Oscar Bersatty a Bolivian involved with the project, Paul Tansley and Luke Wrightmajor concern there, said Luke Wright. With 3Cycle we are attempting to kill two birds with one stone by reusing this waste to help the environment as well as providing employment and skills for people in need. The materials used include paper, plastics, car tyres, metals and more and these are then either reused or recycled and turned into products that are exportedand sold around the world. In the process of setting up 3Cycle, the team have discovered an unique and culturally signicant textile artwork from Bolivia called an Aguayo. The Bolivian people have given them access to sell these antique artworks to help nancially support the 3Cycle project. We have access to these amazing pieces of art that range from to yearsold and we hope to sell them to ensure 3Cycle has the funding it needs to continue, said Paul Tansley. Aguayos are primarily ceremonial pieces and are made from the fibre from the alpaca, llama or sheep. Each piece can take many months to hand make on a special weaving loom and the design on each depicts a specic geographical location. Each Aguayo has its own name,Musing on methane mysteriesScientists have explained why atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas methane have stabilised in recent years, but warn that increases could resume in the near future. In research published in Nature this week, an international team of scientists including CSIRO researchers has shown that it was a decline in emissions of methane from human activities in the s that resulted in the recent slower growth of methane in the global atmosphere. Since , however, sources of methane from human activities have again increased, but their effect on the atmosphere has been counteracted by a reduction in wetland emissions of methane over the same period.
