CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Radio News WBZ) — They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and that couldn’t be truer with one Cambridge woman’s efforts to refurbish unwanted clothing and limit the amount of discarded material sent to landfill.
Ninawa Zero-Waste turns discarded fabric into fashionable clothing and refurbished bags, and aims to reduce disposal for the sake of the environment. WBZ’s Kim Tunnicliffe spoke with Aelen Unan, the woman behind Ninawa Zero-Waste, who says she was once homeless before starting her business.
“I lived in a homeless shelter, in small rooms that were ten square meters. Someone donated an unwanted sheet and tablecloth – I used them to make more than 400 masks and donated them to the shelter of a woman and a nursing home,” Unan said. .
From there, Unan says she set up shop in Cambridge’s Popportunity Starlight Square, a location she will miss as her site is given to another retailer by the end of July.
“I hope I can have a permanent store where I can make more items and grow my business,” Unan said.
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Unan says she is actively looking for a new space for Ninawa Zero-Waste.
WBZ’s Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
