From Garbage to Gold: Recycling After 65 (Guest Author: Perley-Ann Friedman )
In retirement, I reinvented myself in the most unlikely way. I never imagined I’d call myself a garbage artist. Yet here I am in my 70s, creating art from garbage. More specifically, from recycling, I create art using ocean plastic.
Yes, you read that right. I collect discarded lighters from the beaches of Koh Lanta, Thailand, and transform it into giant, colourful sculptures. What others see as rubbish, I now see as potential.
On Koh Lanta, the island I call home, the beaches are littered with garbage when the monsoon winds blow inwards during the summer months. This garbage washes up on shore every day, evidence of the massive plastic problem in our oceans.
So many things are washed onto the shore. From shoes, clothing and machine parts to all kinds of things made from plastic, including lighters. Some are fairly new. Others look like they have floated in the sea for years.
When people claim the Pacific garbage island is a hoax, I shake my head. I see the truth daily, brought in with every tide. The plastic problem is real, and enormous.
Instead of letting it crush me, I decided to act. During my sunset walks, I began picking up garbage. Of course, I could never get it all. But doing something, however small, made me feel part of the solution.
My garbage art started with lighters. They wash up by the hundreds, sometimes thousands, on our island beaches. At first, I picked them up simply to clean the sand. But one evening I thought, what if these could become something more? That thought changed my life.
I sketched a giant cat and came up with design plan for building a wall-sized piece made entirely from lighters. The idea seemed wild, but I couldn’t let it go. Over the next six weeks, I cleaned, sorted, and glued until a vibrant, glowing cat sculpture emerged. It was my first true “garbage art” creation.
From there, the ideas poured in. Dinosaurs, festival signs, even commissions for businesses. Each piece told its own story; built from materials most people had given up on.
Becoming a garbage artist gave me something more than a hobby. It gave me purpose, joy, and a new identity in retirement. Instead of seeing plastic waste as depressing, I now see it as the raw material of transformation.
I’ve always loved making things. Knitting, crochet, sewing, glue-gun crafts — I always had a project on the go. Many of my creations featured cats. I adore cats.
Collecting lighters put me on a new creative path. One evening, while hauling bags of trash, I thought: Why not make a cat sculpture?
By the time I reached home, I had a vision. A giant cat, tall enough to match my height, designed from hundreds of lighters.
The next day, I began. I researched how to clean lighters, remove filters, and prepare them for use. I drew outlines on a board, then glued lighters piece by piece.
It was painstaking. Glue had to dry before I could continue. Colours had to balance. Shapes had to make sense.
Six weeks later, the cat sculpture was finished.
Friends came to see what I was building. Soon they were helping me clean lighters and even joining my beach walks. Tourists began leaving lighters for me at resort receptions. I had become known as the “garbage artist.”
One friend suggested lighting the cat from within. He offered to prepare the electricals and mount it on a frame. Soon, my creation hung proudly on my wall, glowing at night.
That was my transformation. I went from retired ERP consultant to island garbage artist. And I loved every moment of it.
That first cat was only the beginning. Since then, I’ve built so many sculptures, I’ve lost count.
Some have been for local homes. Others for businesses, festivals, or public events. I’ve made a dinosaur eating popcorn for a cinema. I even built a massive, illuminated sign for a provincial festival. Each project pushed me further, creatively and technically.
Every sculpture takes time. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months. But retirement means I have the freedom to give it that time.
Age hasn’t slowed me down. If anything, it fuels me. People of all ages cheer me on, post my work online, and deliver bags of lighters to my door. Their support is part of my joy.
Around the same time, I began collecting lighters, I was volunteering at Lanta Animal Welfare. I noticed something strange — the dog and cat food bags were colourful, strong, and waterproof. Yet they were thrown away after use.
I began to experiment. Firstly, I made laptop cases from the discarded food sacks. I lined them with discarded bubble wrap that I quilted with old clothes left behind by tourists. Soon, I expanded into purses and e-reader cases.
My friends loved them. Soon, I was producing more “Happy Cat” bag styles.
The goal was never money. It was about reducing waste, reusing materials, and celebrating the animals on the packaging.
When I return to Ottawa each summer, I sell my bags at craft fairs. They always draw attention, and I love sharing the story behind them.
Many retirees struggle with purpose. After years of busy careers, the sudden absence of structure can feel daunting.
For me, creativity has filled that gap. Above all, it has given me purpose, confidence, and joy. I wake each day excited about the projects waiting in my studio.
Trying something new in later life can be life changing. It relieves stress, sharpens the mind, and keeps us engaged with the world. This short article explores the benefits of trying something new in retirement.
Your project doesn’t need to be big. It can be sewing, painting, gardening or whatever. The key is to start, and let yourself enjoy the process.
Most of us hate waste. As a result, we keep jars, yogurt tubs, or food containers, convinced they’ll find a use someday. Often, they just take up space.
My journey showed me how discarded materials can become useful again. More importantly, they can become beautiful.
Retirement gave me time to live more sustainably. By combining hobbies with recycling, I discovered a way to reduce waste and express myself at the same time.
If you want to try new creative hobbies, there is a great article for you. Check out this Retirement Now article on crafting in retirement. It’s full of simple, inspiring ideas.
I never expected my personal hobby to resonate with so many people. But my work has inspired others to try their own projects, big or small.
People tell me they started reusing old clothing, repurposing glass jars, or picking up beach trash. My sculptures became a conversation starter, spreading the idea that creativity and sustainability can belong to anyone.
The best part? Knowing that, even in my 70s, I can inspire others to live more consciously.
Are you ready to try something new? Retirement is the perfect time. Whether it’s crafting, or recycled art, start small. See where it leads.
If you don’t enjoy it, move on to something else. Either way, you’ll learn and grow. And if your project helps others or reduces waste, you’ll have turned your effort into “gold.”
Retirement has so far been the best years of my life. Check out this Retirement Now article, about how it can be your best years as well. It’s definitely worth a read.
I never imagined I’d become a garbage artist. But here I am, surrounded by glowing sculptures, recycled bags, and the joy of creation.
Above all, in retirement, it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
Perley-Ann Friedman retired to a small Thai island, where she writes about life, reinvention, and retirement abroad. She is the author of Retired Way Out There: My Evolving Life on Koh Lanta Thailand, available on Amazon.
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