Do you know how many tires are wasted each year in the United States alone? According to the Popular Mechanics estimation, the number is around 246 million! A shocking number, isn’t it? Especially if you take into consideration that these tires aren’t biodegradable, which means that they don’t decompose naturally.
The tires cannot be recycled easily as they are a mix of different materials like natural and synthetic rubber, even fiber and wire. So, they usually end up accumulating on large piles in junkyards, landfills, or by the side of the road.
One of these places where there is also a lot of tire waste is Brazil where the artist and entrepreneur, Amarildo Silva, found some and started his innovative crafting project. The young man who has spent more than 15 years helping animals off the streets, decided to do something nice and different for them, constructing colorful animal beds out of wasted tires. And, as you can see the result is unique and incredible!
According to Petpedia, there are more than 200 million stray dogs in the world today, while 2 million animals die every year in shelters. The number is devastating and it makes you wonder how all these beautiful animals end up abandoned and alone. Some countries face serious problems with all the strays in their streets. Brazil’s major cities are plagued with strays that are trying to survive.
And here is where Amarildo and his team of Caominhas Camas come and help out. His project is based on the idea that you can easily reuse and recycle old materials in order to create something new and useful in an inexpensive way.
They aim to help with the strays’ problem in their community, providing them with food and shelter, and if they make some profit along the way, it is welcomed as undoubtedly a project of this caliber has to have many expenses. Amarildo and his team are taking old tires, repainting them in colorful schemes, sewing the bedding and the cushions, creating in this way something really cozy for their little friends.
The service that they offer doesn’t stop only to the beds, they actually take care of the animals, washing and grooming them, giving them a new life. If you notice the photos, each animal has a personalized bed, labeled with their name and they seem to love them!
The tires and thus the beds can vary in sizes, accomodating from a single dog to a mother with her little puppies. The bedspreads are so colorful and beautiful and the dogs seem to enjoy their comfort.
Undoubtedly, Amarildo not only does his part to help the environment, recycling these used items but he’s doing great community service, helping his town with the strays and providing them with a safe and loving home. We could say that his team and he are true everyday heroes! I wonder what can we do to help our communities?
If you want to see more of Amarildo and his team, check out the video below!
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