There is an old saying that goes: “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and we have probably seen the truthfulness of that saying numerous times in our lives. When was the last time you were driving on the road and saw something that someone had thrown out to the curb, only to imagine how perfect it would be in your home? Some of us will act on that impulse but others will simply envision it and let it go.
Amarildo Silva Filho is a 23-year-old man from Brazil and he realizes that one man’s trash can become a treasure for animals. He used to be a struggling artist and in order to pay the bills, he would work at a grocery store. He still felt, however, that his purpose was not being fulfilled in life because what he wanted to do more than anything else was to help the environment and the animals that needed assistance.
When you look around his Brazilian neighborhood, you will find that it is covered with what many people would refer to as ‘trash’. This struggling artist, however, sees potential in what has been abandoned and he came up with an idea that is sure to be inspiring to you.
One day he found a large pile of old tires along the side of the street. He always appreciated recycling items and he decided to upcycle these into some makeshift beds for the stray animals that were wandering the streets of Brazil.
It started out as an experiment but before long, it was a full-blown mission. Since having that first idea, he has turned more than 6000 discarded tires into comfortable animal beds.
It takes about 40 minutes for each tire to be turned into a bed. They are cut and washed and personalized with different designs and colors. He even writes the name of the animal on the outside of the bed. Although these tires are either bought in bulk, given as donations, or found on the streets.
Amarildo’s animal beds are a popular item and he receives orders from people all across Brazil. He now hopes that he is able to expand and help people in other areas as well. You can see more in this video: