Arusha’s Glass Recycling Initiative Transforms Tourism Waste into Art

For decades, Arusha has been recognized as the Safari Capital of Africa, serving as the epicenter of Tanzania’s tourism industry.

The city welcomes millions of tourists annually who come to experience the region’s renowned attractions.

As visitors celebrate with wine and liquor, empty bottles accumulate rapidly, creating disposal challenges for local hotels and lodges.

This changed in 2009 when Shanga, a local social creative enterprise near Arusha Airport, began collecting glass bottles for recycling. The organization supports and employs people with disabilities, transforming discarded glass bottles into exceptional glassworks.

The workforce includes deaf glassblowers who have mastered the art of working with scorching hot furnaces to create stunning vases and decorative glasswork displayed at their facility.

This eco-friendly initiative aligns with Arusha and Tanzania’s ambitious tourism growth targets, which will inevitably result in increased bottle waste from hotels, lodges, and campsites across the region.

The enterprise recycles all types of broken glass found in Arusha, handling over one hundred tonnes annually. What they cannot process is shipped to other recycling companies.

International Collaboration Enhances Local Skills

A recent collaboration brought two Venetian masters from Murano to lead a ten-day workshop, merging centuries-old Italian techniques with local innovative use of reclaimed materials.

The recycling process begins with careful sorting. Brown beer bottles are separated from clear gin and vodka bottles before melting.

"We separate based on color; each color is melted separately, and we only combine them when we mold colorful glasswork," said Obidiah Mlavi, a staff member at Shanga.

Sustainable Energy Solutions

The furnaces operate on recycled engine oil collected from safari vehicles at reduced prices. At 1,100 degrees Celsius, these furnaces burn continuously, using natural gas at night to maintain cost efficiency.

Watching glassblowers work reveals a masterful, coordinated choreography executed with precision as searing melted glass is passed around and swiftly shaped before cooling.

The final products—flower vases, glass ornaments, and wine glasses—represent remarkable works of art, transforming what was once considered trash.

Empowering People with Disabilities

General Manager Dina Wilson reports that out of 67 staff members, most have some form of disability, including physical, sensory, or mental challenges. The team includes deaf employees and one with autism.

TNC has learned that these disabilities have no significant impact on daily production levels.

The organization has made a positive environmental impact on tourism, collecting and recycling bottles from Tanzania’s Northern Circuit National Parks, including Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire.

"We have been doing this since 2009," Wilson noted, adding that hundreds of tonnes have been transformed into glasswork.

Community Education and Future Growth

The enterprise invites local primary school students for field trips, teaching them about recycling and creating eco-friendly communities.

Recent workshop displays attracted attention from diplomatic and academic representatives, including the Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Coppola and Professor Maulilio John Kipanyula, Vice Chancellor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).

The Italian embassy supported this skills and knowledge transfer project, providing two electric kilns from Murano. The collaboration focused on Shanga’s social dimension, working with people with disabilities and recycling materials while creating employment opportunities.

Shanga hopes NM-AIST will join efforts to elevate the program and train more young Tanzanians in glassblowing techniques.

Economic and Cultural Impact

The glasswork sells from ten dollars and above, offering affordable decorative pieces for tourists visiting the region.

What was once an environmental burden for Arusha hotels has transformed into an expression of artistry through this international collaboration.

Over 700 kilograms of tools, molds, and glass materials were shipped from Murano to Arusha, including two electric kilns, with support from NEOS Airline and Air Tanzania.

The resulting works will be presented in Dar es Salaam and Arusha in February 2026, followed by an exhibition at Venice Design Week 2026 in September.

This initiative demonstrates how art and craftsmanship can unite nations while providing young creative Tanzanians with valuable skills to expand their artistic capabilities using recycled materials.