PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2011

PET - THE NEXT GENERATION 55 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 04/11 www.petpla.net PET bottle artistically transformed into Chinese lucky fish PET art objects There hare not only the two options for old PET bottles: recycling or landfill. Thai inspiration and creativity, for example, has found a third way: the “artistic upgrading” of PET bottles. For six years now the young Thai couple Nana and Naed have been converting old discarded PET bottles into wonderful looking flow- ers, lamps and Chinese lucky fishes. Within the space of two or three days an empty 1.5l bottle can be transformed into a handcrafted and colourful lamp. A discarded 450ml Coke bottle takes on a new life as a Chinese lucky fish. The silver ver- sion of the Chinese lucky fish is the best seller of the moment. Currently some 200-300 bottles (450ml, 1.5l and 5l) per month are being artisti- cally converted. The two young artists from Bangkok are not content simply to create PET art objects, but are keen to spread the word to others. For the modest fee of US$35, potential PET sculptors can have a go themselves, suitably equipped with soldering iron, paper templates, and a range of different colours. Thus a cottage industry is created which can help boost the local economy. The PET bottle lightweighting does not particularly please the young artist Naed, who still prefers the thicker and heavier CSD bottles. But his busi- ness will survive. He has just opened a second outlet in Bangkok.