Environmental education
Practical care for the local environment, through education and community activities.
Design & training with recycled plastics
Giving plastic waste new value, and young women new skills.
Ma'aseh is a design and training initiative in Shariya, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The problem
2%
of plastic waste in this region is recycled.
40%+
is burned or dumped.
Figures are our estimates. The reason so little is recycled is economic, not a lack of goodwill.
Separating household plastic from contaminated waste, then sorting, cleaning, shredding and transporting it, costs more than the plastic is worth. Manufacturers can buy new plastic, with better physical properties, for about the same price.
Our idea
Don't treat recycled plastic as a cheap raw material.
Raise its value by turning it into useful products that people buy for their design and function, where the plastic is a small part of the price. That is the work of the Ma'aseh Design Laboratory.
What one kilo of recycled plastic is worth
Sorted plastic waste
$0.10
Made into a produce crate
$0.60
Made into chess pieces
$37
As a designed product, the same kilo is worth about 370 times as much as sorted waste, and the plastic is less than 2% of the price.
The people
Young women in Shariya, trained as designers and digital technicians.
Skills that last, fair paid work, and a hand in shaping products for the local market.
Work that develops the whole person.
Where we are
Early days.
The laboratory is being fitted out. 2027 and 2028 are for training, developing products, and testing what people will buy.
-
2026
Fitting out the laboratory and installing equipment.
-
2027
Training begins. First products designed, made and refined.
-
2028
Training continues. Testing what people will buy, and learning what works.
Our wider work
Building local networks and empowering local partners.
The Family Run
An annual event bringing families together. Over 1,000 participants in three years.
[Photo: a collection hub]
Collection hubs
Pilot hubs for collecting household plastic, run with local partners.
Who we are
Ma'aseh is a project of STLI.
STLI is an international NGO registered in the Kurdistan Region, working in community health and care of the environment.
Ma'aseh is led by people with long experience of running social enterprises in the Middle East and South Asia. We work alongside local NGOs.
Get involved
Three ways in.
Support the work
Gifts are received by STLI. For tax-deductible giving outside the USA, contact us about the options.
How to giveJoin us short-term
We welcome short-term visitors with skills in digital design, 3D printing, CNC or fabrication.
See the roles