Buddhist amulets made from recycled plastic in Thailand

An eco-friendly design company makes Buddhist amulets from recycled plastic rubbish in Thailand.

The company, Qualy, which advocates for sustainable design, fashions the revered religious charms - which locals believe are lucky - from waste such as coffee grounds, used fishing nets, old milk cartons, plastic items.

Qualy's design director Teerachai Suppameteekulwat said the project, which is branded 'Phra Sati' meaning 'mindful', is part of the company's thrust to create green products.

He said: 'The Phra Sati project was created because we wanted to tell the story of the cycle of death and rebirth in materials, as we believe that they contain past, present, and future lives, much like the Thai Buddhist belief.'

Teerachai added that the raw materials were collected from partner foundations or donations from consumers.

The rubbish is then processed into fine particles, which are placed into a mould to be shaped and embossed with the Buddha's likeness.

Phra Sati amulets may be bought through The Mirror Foundation at 200 THB (4 GBP) each.

The proceeds are used to help employ elderly homeless people by providing them with job opportunities, and assisting them in obtaining state welfare benefits.

Interested customers may also visit Qualy Design Space in Bangok, open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, or visit the company's social media accounts.

SUBTITLES

0.44 - 0.54 I'm Jai, Teerachai Suppameteekulwat, the design director of the Qualy brand, and I spearheaded the Phra Sati project

0.55 - 1.16 The Buddha amulet represents the Buddha statue, making it easier for Thai people, who are Buddhists, to recall the teachings. Additionally, it is portable, allowing Buddhists to carry it

1.16 - 1.25 At Qualy, we focus on creating new products, mainly emphasising environmental friendliness and sustainability

1.25 - 1.31 Therefore, our designs are created using recyclable materials, especially plastic waste

1.31 - 1.48 The Phra Sati project was created because we wanted to tell the story of the cycle of death and rebirth in materials, as we believe that they contain past, present, and future lives, much like the Thai Buddhist belief

1.48 - 1.56 We tried to connect with the concept of materials, as they were something else before they reached our hands

1.56 - 2.14 Previously, they could have been something else, such as oil, and even before that, they might have been fossils. When looking back over millions of years, they might have been different animals or plants

2.14 - 2.22 They might have undergone several lives before they became plastic in our hands, used for consumption such as bottles or glasses

2.23 - 2.31 However, their current lives as bottles or glasses are so short, as they are immediately discarded after being used

2.31 - 2.52 It is up to users or consumers to enable this rebirth. If we do not take care of this, they might be discarded in nature, such as in water bodies like rivers and seas, and become micro plastics

2.52 - 3.09 However, if we give them to people who know how to reuse them effectively, they may be able to be reborn into something better than their previous life or last longer than being single-use

3.10 - 3.26 Especially when shaped into Buddha amulets, Buddhists believe that Buddha was in his final lifetime and not reborn again, so those who possess Buddha amulets will not discard or destroy them

3.26 - 3.35 We named them Phra Sati, which has a similar pronunciation to 'plastic' in English, the material we used for production

3.35 - 3.55 The materials we use to produce Phra Sati are from various types of used plastic, including bottles, glasses, food boxes, CDs, DVDs, bags, fishing nets, and milk cartons

3.56 - 4.11 These materials are gathered by our partners, such as foundations or projects dedicated to collecting waste, or through donations from consumers

4.12 - 4.29 After that, these materials will be processed to be suitable for production using machines, such as grinding or melting them into small pieces

4.29 - 4.39 Then, we create a metal mould to be used with industrial machines for shaping these materials.”

4.39 - 5.00 Phra Sati is not available for normal purchase. They are obtainable through donations hosted by The Mirror Foundation, priced at 200 baht each

5.00 - 5.23 The proceeds will be used to employ homeless elders, providing them with job opportunities, and to assist them in obtaining the necessary documentation to qualify for state welfare benefits

5.23 - 5.28 Those interested in acquiring Phra Sati can obtain them through The Mirror Foundation

5.28 - 5.53 Those interested in sustainable ideas or creativity for sustainability can visit Qualy Design Space, open Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM, or our Facebook and Instagram pages