by efeinblatt | Dec 5, 2010 | argentina, cartoneros, cooperatives, technology
Three and one-half years after setting this process in motion, documents are signed to release funds to build the first production hotpress in Buenos Aires. The Cooperativa de Trabajo 19 de deciembre will build the press and deliver it to the Cooperativa Neuva Mente...
by ericalee | Nov 26, 2010 | argentina, cooperatives, design
Last night we attended the opening of an exhibit at an art gallery here in San Telmo, just a few blocks from our apartment. The artist was named Adriana Gatti, and she had created a dress made of rubber from tires. Most definitely cool. Then she had taken photos of...
by ericalee | Nov 26, 2010 | argentina, engineering, partners, technology
Much as it’s thrilling to execute on a well-laid plan, sometimes the things you don’t plan for – and couldn’t have planned for if you tried in a million years! – are the most fun and satisfying of all. Case in point: Our discovery of...
by efeinblatt | Nov 21, 2010 | argentina, cooperatives
Today is our second ‘day off’ and a welcome relief from the grueling 14-hour days we’ve maintained since arriving in BsAs three weeks ago. Like our previous trips in 2007 and 2008 we spend a lot of time on trains and buses, and a typical day begins early with one of...
by cbaillie | Nov 19, 2010 | argentina
One thing I had not anticipated when Waste for Life started in Buenos Aires, was the whole complication with market. Not that it hadn’t occurred to us – we knew within a few weeks that our preferred position – that of creating a bartering system – cartoneros producing...
by ericalee | Nov 16, 2010 | argentina, design
Today was an exhilarating yet exhausting day of rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. We had to test out the manufacturing process by which our premier product was made: the wallet (or billetera, pronounced beesh-eh-TERR-ah in Argentine Spanish) that...
by efeinblatt | Nov 12, 2010 | argentina, cooperatives, technology
It’s been almost exactly three years since we visited the recovered metallurgic factory, Cooperativa de Trabajo ’19 de diciembre’, and spoke with Enrique Iriarte about a possible niche side business: manufacturing hotpresses for the recycling...
by ericalee | Nov 12, 2010 | argentina, cartoneros, cooperatives
By Wednesday, day 10 of this visit to Buenos Aires, we were ready to visit the most important stake-holders of all: the cartonero co-operatives that will own and run the businesses that we are helping them start. Caroline and Eric had made contact with a community...
by ericalee | Nov 9, 2010 | argentina, design, partners
Back to the University of Buenos Aires yesterday for a follow-up visit with some second year students who designed and built products from chopped-up Danone yogurt containers. It was fun to chat with the students and see the look of pride on their faces as they...
by cbaillie | Nov 9, 2010 | argentina, cartoneros, cooperatives, design
Eric was determined that the better market would be the design/art clientele. I decided the local market in San Telmo was our thing. At 35 pesos average price in our survey at the market on Sunday I was satisfied and would need some serious convincing to look...
