Many genius ideas are born when people try to solve the everyday problems they see around them.
When Amarildo Silva Filho looked around and saw a pile of discarded tires in his Brazilian neighborhood, he had an idea that would not only take care of the trash but turn it into treasure.
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According to Interesting Engineering, in 2017, Filho decided to take the tires and make pet beds out of them.
After collecting them, he cleaned them thoroughly, cut them, added in a plywood bottom and then painted and stenciled them, according to Good News Network.
The old, grubby tires had been given new life. Filho then sewed mattresses and pillows in coordinating colors, and he had himself an army of pet beds.
“I was still working in a supermarket chain when the idea came to me to create baskets for animals,” Filho told the French animal rights group Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis in 2019.
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“My house quickly filled up with tires!” he said. “People couldn’t believe their eyes. I started making six baskets for my colleagues and then it spread like wildfire.”
At some point, Filho realized that some stray dogs — of which there are many in Brazil — had started sleeping in the tires, which gave him another idea: Why not build some specifically for homeless pets?
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“I did it because I have always liked recycling harmful materials, but also because it can help these animals to have even a little comfort,” he said, speaking of his decision to make more of the cozy beds for dogs who could really use them.
“I distribute my baskets to stray animals and to some people who have adopted animals and have no means,” Filho said.
But he’d also stumbled across a product that people loved: Not only was he able to cater to the pet-loving market, he was able to offer a product that was eco-friendly and recycled.
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Filho has since expanded his products to include other styles of pet beds, cat hammocks and toys, according to his Instagram account, Caminhas Pets. Since beginning this project, he’s made more than 6,000 beds.
“Unfortunately, it is very common to find tires thrown in the streets or in the countryside, which is the natural habitat of animals,” he said.
“In Brazil, there are millions of tires in streams, rivers, sea or land. … For my part, I have already reused no less than 8,000 tires.
“If my art can help recycle for a good reason, I’m delighted.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.