Eco Homestay “built of … rubbish”

 

 

Entering the gate of Hue Eco Homestay located at No. 48, hamlet 1, Ngoc Anh, Phu Thuong (Phu Vang), there is a completely different and special space. Right in the yard are flower trusses and bonsai grown in used plastic bottles. The concrete walls around the campus are covered with plastic bottles filled with trash. The space inside the house is also impressive and beautiful. 100% of the furniture at the homestay is recycled items from plastic, wood, iron, old clothes, old bicycles, etc.

To own this "property", the homestay owner must spend a lot of time, not to mention the effort and creativity required.

Discarded Plastic bottles became lovely flower pots

Ceiling lights, light bulbs, or clocks, etc., are all made with glass wine bottles and plastic bottles thrown away. Ms. Quynh Anh said that to get this perfect interior design, it took her a lot of time to collect and gather each of the junk. In order to create a "collection" that fully utilizes junk to make Hue Eco Homestay “one of a kind” in Hue, she both did DIY and asked other people to help her. It is even a rare model on a national scale according to the judgment of many tourists staying. 

Disposable plastic cups, wine stoppers, etc., all became useful items for the homestay

Even the disposable wine stoppers or plastic containers are also used by the homestay owner to create boxes, room key chains, and lovely table flower pots. Or the "old-fashioned" gasoline pump, the tires with the rim of the car also became the basin to wash the face or the hands. Excess water pipe after construction of the house turned into a table leg.

Whatever objects being thrown away, when coming into the sight or through the talented hands of Ms. Quynh Anh, they become usable items and unique ornament for the homestay.

Gasoline pump, old tire became unique basin

"Thanks to that, instead of spending money on buying things one by one to complete the homestay with the purpose of service business, I take advantage of waste and used goods to save expense, investment fees, and reduce the amount of non-degradable waste into the environment,” Ms. Quynh Anh said.

Having worked for many years with foreign non-governmental projects in terms of environment such as afforestation, biodiversity conservation, community tourism development, renewable energy, and job creation for ethnic minorities, etc., Ms. Quynh Anh understands that the environment is under pressure due to human actions; this leads to the gradual destruction of nature, and affects people's health. 

Therefore, having accumulated after years of experience, directly involving in environmental projects, Quynh Anh realized that she needed to act quickly, change people’s awareness by starting from family members, friends and then propagandizing to the community to join hands to protect the environment as soon as possible.

The motivation for her to pursue the "prolonging the rubbish’s life cycle" is also due to the times she was on the streets or in the rural areas, lagoons; she was very upset because trash appeared everywhere. Even the sites which used to be very fresh and beautiful were "ruined" by rubbish. She thought that if the problem of waste disposal was solved only by collecting and transporting to the disposal site, it would soon gradually be overloaded. So she thought of recycling, reusing and applying into green and environmentally friendly model.

Ms. Quynh Anh's daily collection of plastic waste

Ms. Quynh Anh’s idea of eco-homestay is also derived from the fact and the desire to contribute a small part of herself, of her friends with the same goals and aspirations to start a green life like the day in the past, behaving better with the environment.

After taking a break from participating in projects, for the past 3 years, she rekindled the idea, gathering the old household appliances thrown away from family and acquaintances.

And then, in 2019, the Hue Eco Homestay was introduced with the deepest desire of the owner to remind herself, her family and everyone to take action, be kind to garbage and be economical.

In order to form a "collection" recycled from rubbish and waste, it took Ms. Quynh Anh about 2 years to collect and renovate.

She said: "I know there will be many people wondering what the garbage collection is for? But if everyone just asked but did not try to take action, will there ever be a start and a result?" It is delighted that her ideas and actions are always supported and helped by her family, relatives, and friends.

"When if not now", "Take action" ... are the slogans mounted in the visible position of the homestay, and these are considered a guideline for Hue Eco Homestay to establish and operate.

So, in addition to the garbage that can become household items, she continues to collect plastic waste, non-degradable inorganic waste and keeps them as a "reserve" in each discarded plastic bottle. In each room, the homestay owner places a plastic trash bottle and attaches instructions on how to put trash in the bottle. Quynh Anh said: "On average, each garbage bottle contains about 0.3kg of plastic waste, dry and clean inorganic waste. The process of "stuffing" 60 garbage bottles have reduced the discharge to the environment by 18 kg of plastic waste and nylon. Not much, but "many a little makes a mickle", I still continue to call upon people to litter properly and be economical. "

Bottles filled up with trash are temporarily placed around the foot of the bed in the "trash" room

After being filled, trash bottles, designed by Quynh Anh, were placed around the foot of the bed in the hotel room called "trash" (embracing garbage) to wait for the treatment. With that way, each room has its own story associated with each item and space arranged inside. The "old memorabilia" room has a bed used and reinforced from the old wood bed; or the rattan rack, bookshelves, tables, and door of the room from the family’s 20-years-old ones.

Each item has a story from garbage or old household objects

The staircase is decorated with household waste but it is very durable and environmentally friendly. What would impress us is it is mounted with 16 wheels of the three-wheeled vehicles, and its nose-handle is made of a copper spittoon from more than 100 years ago that her grandfather left her. Tiles are defective handmade tiles. Quynh Anh said that the reason why she chose this type of tile was not because of the cost, but she wanted to take advantage of the true meaning of Hue Eco and to benefit the producers.

More unique is the kitchen cabinet system which is utilized from old drums after being improved with clasps, locks, compartments suitable to serve the needs of housewives of the guests.

"No matter how strange or familiar it is, just try to create and exchange trust responsibly" is the desire of Ms. Quynh Anh, the owner of Hue Eco Homestay, when talking about the plan to spread the green accommodation model becoming a place of sightseeing, experience and action to protect the environment to both domestic and foreign people.

There are many messages and each message calls for people to act and behave kindly for the green environment

Understanding that if she did it alone, it would not be strong and it was difficult to spread, she called for and connected green clubs such as Green Quoc Hoc Club and Green Hue Club, which were established by foreigners living in Hue and Hue people, students from tourism university, and individuals, etc. All of them from time to time hold meetings together, discuss how to recycle things, make organic fertilizer, make handmade personal stuffs from natural materials. Also, from the waste products such as orange peel, lemon peel, pineapple peel, soapberries, etc., she and the students of University of Medicine and Pharmacy - Hue University worked together to create environmentally friendly bio-dishwashing liquid which is very clean and effective to use.

Realizing that the situation of climate change is becoming more and more complicated, and the number of hot and sunny hours in the season and the year in the area is increasing; therefore, to take advantage of clean energy, the homestay is equipped with solar panel system with 8.5kW connected to the national electricity grid. Although the initial investment is quite large, from VND 16 to 20 million per kW, this system helps the homestay reduce the high price of electricity and is compensated by the sale of excess electricity to the electricity unit.

Although the homestay has just been put into operation since the end of 2019 and has temporarily closed to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Quynh Anh has nurtured the idea that Hue Eco Homestay will be used as a combination of accommodation and a destination to introduce Hue's natural products such as Vuong Ton herbal tea, shampoo, bath soap, bio-dishwashing liquid, etc., made from herbs, plants and fruit waste.