HOW PEOPLE IN GAZA TURN TRASH INTO CASH

These plastic fibers began as buckets pulled from the trash and are now used to produce rugs and prayer mats at the Hijazi Straw Mat Factory in Gaza. The only way they were able to work with plastic waste was by importing virgin plastic from Saudi Arabia. However, since 2007, the blockade has made it more difficult to import or export anything into or out of the Gaza Strip. Stocks of all essential products are running low while the trash piles up. As a result, people across the Strip are finding new ways to operate their businesses with recovered materials from landfills. So, how do you handle trash in a conflict zone? Donkey carts full of plastic buckets pull up to this factory almost every day.

• Workers cut the buckets into smaller pieces to ensure they can fit into the shredders. The washing machines are used to eliminate any dirt or residue from the plastic. Afterward, excess water is drained, and the pieces are placed in the dryer to remove any remaining moisture.

• Despite its lightweight nature, this particular type of plastic retains its strength even after recycling. The plastic is then poured into bags and transported upstairs using a lift.

• The next step involves loading the plastic bits into the hopper, where they will be heated until they reach their melting point. Dies are added to adjust the color, and the molten plastic falls down into an extruder.

• Once in the extruder, the plastic is pushed out into long strands and cooled with water until it solidifies. These strands are then cut back into granule size and collected in large sacks.

• The granules are sent back downstairs and heated once again before being poured into machines specifically designed for weaving the plastic threads. This time, the machines cut the plastic threads to the perfect size for weaving.

• Workers gather the filaments and transport them to the weeding machines.

The factory's current production capacity is up to 500 meters of mats per day, which is significantly lower compared to previous years. Despite the challenges of operating in a conflict zone, the factory continues to operate.

Electricity in Gaza is unreliable, with an average of only 14 hours of power per day. The main sources of power in Gaza are an old diesel-powered plant that meets only one-fifth of the electricity demand and power lines from Israel. However, diesel is expensive and there is limited storage space.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and has been an occupied territory since 1967.In 2007; Hamas took control of Gaza, leading to it being labeled as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union. Since then, Israel has imposed restrictions on the movement of people and goods in and out of the 25-mile strip of land. The blockade has resulted in a shortage of materials needed for infrastructure repairs, as well as periodic shortages of building materials, fuel, and medical equipment.

The production of solid waste in the territory exceeds 2,000 metric tons per day. Gaza's recycling centers are unable to handle all of it, and the blockade often prevents waste from being shipped to other countries for processing. As a result, a significant amount of garbage ends up in the two official landfills in the strip, where it is regularly burned. However, due to the lack of proper firefighting equipment, large fires can burn for days.

In March 2023, a fire took more than three days to control, prompting Gaza to seek international aid. Illegal dump sites sometimes become the only option due to the overwhelming amount of trash.