Repair, reduce and recycle and become a planet protector!
Concept by Nienke Venema
trash for life!
NEW
Issue 1 May 2021
Illustrations by Renate Potter
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A comic book series where everything has value and nothing should go to waste
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Hi Alex!
Hi Mom!
Mom, can I go play in the forest after lunch?
Too small...
First tidy you room before you go...
Hmpf...
Is that a tear...?
Let’s throw them away, I will ask mom to buy me some t-shirts!
Too dirty...
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I am not playing with these cars anymore ...
Let’s get rid of them!
Bye bear!
Aaaand Bingo!
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See ya!
Wow a magpie! My mom told me these birds collect lots of stuff in their nests...
Come in!
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Maggy the magpie never brings people home... My name is Miss Maple! Would you like a tree tour?
What is this...?
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Everything in this place is made from recycled items...
You mean made from waste??
...it is all made from materials people thought they didn’t need it anymore
Wonderful waste! People generate too much waste these days... In the natural world, there isn’t any rubbish
I would never think of transforming a skateboard into a table... Recycling Rules!
We should learn from the big Wood Wide Web!
Birds make nest from twigs... dead leaves are nutrients for the soi and another plants food... it’s the circle of life!
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If you don’t need anything anymore you can give it another use. Or maybe someone else needs it instead.
I would like to receive your old toys to create a lamp from!
But what if you don’t need it anymore?
This is the place where we make and mend everything... and in case anything is broken, this also the place where we fix it
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When you take good care of your clothes you don’t have to buy new clothes so often.
I had no idea...
Did you know some people wear a garment only seven times? While keeping a garment in your closet is the best thing you can do to protect nature!
Every household in the Netherlands produces waste that’s about the same weight as a white shark!
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I... I think I need to leave...
Oh!
Got it!
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Let’s go Maggy! I have got some work to do!
First, take care of my clothes... This t-shirt will look cool on you!
Not throwing it away, but put it in the washing machine!
Hmm... Repairing is not easy, but is is better than wasting!
This is what you call a trashformation! And bear...
Ahoy Mate! Looking fresh!
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No thanks! Got is all covered...
Alex, what are you doing? Can I help you with anything?
See you soon Maggy! I will drop by soon...
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Text and concept by Nienke Venema Illustrations by Renate Potter Illustrations
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Show us your creations of the upcyclingstudio on Youtube and TikTok with #trashformation #trashforlife
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your turn to get creative!
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What’s in your room to give your night-light a make over?
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Miss Maple inspired Alex to upcycle his rocket toy into a cool night-light! You can do the same and prevent stuff in your room to go to waste. Next time you think of throwing away old toys, think about #trashformation! Use the white space to sketch your upcycling project!
This cool Sculpture Lamp you can make out of old toys. Repurpose your worn out plastic toys using a little bit of glue and some paint if you like! Go check out our Youtube channel for the full tutorial. @trashforlife
Look at these upcycled world-globes! By cutting them in half it gets a whole new function... Maybe try this with an old soccer- or football?
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upcyclingstudio Take a second look at all the furniture in Miss Maple’s house. A lot of things used to have a different function. If you have enough curiosity to work with the materials you already have, there are many possibilities. Upcycling is easy and for everyone! You can keep building and creating new things with available materials, just like birds building a nest!
What is upcycling? The idea of upcycling is that the quality of a product does not decline, but improves. The products are reused in such a way that they get more value. An old, unusable product can be transformed into something new. If this new product is useful and has a different value than before, we speak of upcycling. Not only the raw material of a product is reused. With upcycling the product as a whole gets a new function.
Maybe not the first thing you think of, but check out this guitar transformed into a cabinet on the wall! Do you have an old guitar lying around somewhere that is not being used? Let’s upcycle! Be careful! Get help from someone who knows how to use a drill.
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What about the environment? When you upcycle, you prevent materials to end up as 'waste' in the landfill. All you need is creativity and inspiration. So, well done!
inspiration from the treehouse These patchwork curtains are a bit advanced, but ask your parents or grandparents for help so your old clothing can be #trashformed!
Your old skateboard #trashformed into a table for in your bedroom!
What the difference between recycling and upcycling? In recycling, the original product is reprocessed in the same form and function. For example, old newspapers and magazines are turned into new paper again. This is a significant difference with upcycling, where the product is given a new function.
Miss Maple had these as decoration in her living room. If you like flowers, you can use old light-bulbs to hang them around the house!
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The story is about a young boy named Alex, who has great climbing skills and enjoys playing in the woods. When Alex discovers an enormous tree house high up in the trees, he meets a remarkably creative woman. She shows him the endless possibilities of reusing materials and teaches him an important lesson. Alex knows now what to do next. Follow Alex and his creative journey on Youtube and Tiktok and become a planet protector yourself!
@alex_trashforlife
trashforlife