By Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA (Reuters) - Madyan Helles collects waste car tyres and recycles them into materials that are used as a base layer for artificial grass at sports facilities as well as in agriculture in the impoverished Gaza Strip.
The 27-year-old man, who has a geology degree in environment and water resources, lives not far from a scrapyard where broken cars are piled up before being compressed, shredded, and prepared for export - a site that inspired him in his project.
He collects the tyres from wherever he can find them, including those dumped on the streets, which are sometimes set fire to in protests.
Helles then uses a shredding machine to turn them into small pieces of rubber granule infill that are used sometimes in building projects, in agriculture to make artificial soil and also for artificial turf.
They can also get a new life in tyres for children's toys and bicycles.
"My project preserves the environment and helps reduce environment risks," Helles said, who hopes to expand his business beyond him working on his own.
"It must get bigger and absorb all wasted tyres in Gaza Strip so that we can get rid of them safely and properly," he told Reuters.
In Gaza City, Ubayda Nassar, from the Shijaia sports club, where the pitches are made of artificial grass, said each one required 50 kg to 60 kg of rubber granules per year.
"We used to import rubber granules in the past for high prices, today they are available in Gaza. We support local products," Nassar said.
(Reporting by Nidal Almughrabi; Editing by Alison Williams)