Selfsufficientish.com

This guy deserves recognition!!

A Northern Ireland estate agent has come up with a novel way of recycling the firm's for sale signs.
McAfee Properties are shipping the boards out to a township in the South African city of Port Alfred where they will be used as roofing tiles.

According to the Ballymoney based company, the heavy-duty plastic signs, which measure 6mm thick, have the double advantage of being weather and rodent proof.

Laid side by side, the signs would cover an area of about two acres, and it is hoped will provide the residents of the Stationhill township with plenty of material for roofing their houses.

Gerry McAfee, principal partner in the company, said he was left with the signs after his company decided to rebrand its advertising.

"I just was very uneasy about putting so much perfectly good plastic in the bin," he said.

"Corrugated plastic is a highly re-usable substance which is totally weather-proof and rodent-proof, it was simply a case of finding other uses for it".

After trying and failing to find a way of recycling the boards in Northern Ireland, Mr McAfee hit upon the idea of re-using his signs as slates.

"Everyone seemed to be telling me that is most cost effective to just dump the old branded signs as there is currently no provision in Northern Ireland to recycle this sort of plastic," he said.

"My involvement with the Feed the Hungry charity, made me think about the other ways in which the signs could possibly be used in another climate."

Charity

Gerry has made regular trips to the Stationhill township.

He told the BBC News website, that he first became aware of the plight of those living there when his aunt, who was working as a nun in the township with the Sisters of Assumption, asked him if he could make a donation.

Since then, Mr McAfee has helped raise funds to purchase a site in the township and is currently working along with community representatives there towards building a nutrition centre.

Although the project is still some way from completion, he explained they hoped that once it was finished, people would be able to use it as a place to collect food parcels and medical supplies.


The company hopes to be able to send the boards out to the Stationhill township within the next few months.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5311990.stm

Shirlz2005 wrote:A Northern Ireland estate agent has come up with a novel way of recycling the firm's for sale signs.
McAfee Properties are shipping the boards out to a township in the South African city of Port Alfred where they will be used as roofing tiles.

I'm always a bit uncomfortable with the way that we, in the wealthy part of the world, are prepared to palm off our rubbish on the poor parts of the world, and somehow think it is an act of inspired generosity. Should they be grateful for taking delivery of our rubbish? Eventually, it must become their rubbish, too. I mean, if this is such a good idea, why aren't we making roof tiles out of these signs? Not good enough for us, but good enough for poor people?

It just seems all wrong that we generate all this rubbish, and then, in the absence of any idea what to do with it, ship it out of sight to a country with problems aplenty, thinking how good we are. This ain't going to solve the problems of poverty, or inadequate housing, but it might help us generate a bit more rubbish before we finally run out of places to put it. After all, what sort of company is it that can, in the first place, be so short sighted as to create 2 acres of waste because they have decided to 'rebrand' themselves??? Turn it into a good bit of PR.

I know there are honest people trying to make an honest difference in ways like this, and maybe, after all, it will make a difference. But it just seems rather too near to the old imperialst, colonialist thinking that we've foisted on so much of the world for so long, ensuring in the process that they remain poor, whist we congratulate ourselves and get richer.

I agree to some extent although, being an estate agent he probably has a house with a roof on it already!? Anyway, sorry for being flippant, I suppose if they were used to roof houses or even sheds in this country, local councils wouldn't allow it...?!

Tigerhair wrote:I suppose if they were used to roof houses or even sheds in this country, local councils wouldn't allow it...?!

Don't know, to be honest. There might be issues with fire if they are easily combustible. And I wonder if there is also an issue with exposure to sunlight. A plastic sign with a life expectancy of 6 months is one thing, but on a roof that should last 50 years or more, it might be a little different. More so in a S. African climate.

Having lived in S Africa and spent time in the townships, I can tell you that the people there will welcome ANY building materials - all other arguments get thrown right out the window for me - sorry if this sounds a tad abrupt, it really is hand to mouth there and any help is welcome regardless of whether it is politically correct or not. Good for Gerry McAfee he's doing something to help, which is a lot more than most peole.