WATCH: Turning trash into art in the West Bank

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Ala’ Hilu hammers away in his workshop in Beit Sahour, Palestine. Hilu is trying to flatten an old fork, which he hopes to turn into a bracelet.

Hilu is a pioneer of upcycling in the West Bank. Upcycling is the process of transforming waste into useable objects.

“We kind of like recover waste and give it a new life,” he said. “And bring it back to humans in a different shape.”

Hilu’as workshop is filled with old wood, rubber and cutlery. Where some see garbage, he sees potential.

“You would see people reusing plastic bags, like my grandmother had her pillows made out of plastic bags, like she used to cut them really thin and fill them in a pillow case and they had a pillow.”

Hilu’s work transforms everyday waste into functional objects with interesting aesthetics.

“You can see in peoples’ faces,” he said. “When they see the product that we make from waste and you see the effect of what they see on their faces, you can actually feel it and see it.”