By Sabine Berendse | Founder
Dear Friend,
Since our last update, Green Phenix has taken several important steps towards making the Dreamfactory more sustainable, creative and accessible.
We installed a solar energy system at our facility, piloted new creative activities for community members, developed locally made products inspired by Curaçao’s Blue Wave and started preparing a programme of holiday activities for groups of children.
These developments reflect the wider purpose of the Dreamfactory: transforming discarded materials into new value while creating opportunities for people to learn, participate and discover what they can make.
What we achieved
Green Phenix continues to combine circular production with social inclusion. Plastic collected on Curaçao is processed into locally made products, while our Learn & Work and day activity programmes provide participants with structure, practical experience and opportunities to develop their skills.
During this period, we also began testing how the Dreamfactory can become a more open community space. Children and adults have taken part in creative sessions in which they experimented with colours, materials and techniques to make jewelry, accessories, planters and other personal creations.
These activities may appear simple, but they bring together several important elements of our mission: environmental awareness, creativity, confidence, social connection and local income generation.
Making our operations more sustainable
One of the most significant developments during this period was the installation of a hybrid solar energy system at our recycling facility.
With the support of TUI Care Foundation and Stichting DOEN, we installed 16 solar panels, battery storage and a 12 kW hybrid inverter. The system is expected to generate approximately 30 kWh of renewable electricity per day.
This reduces the environmental footprint of our recycling operations and makes us less dependent on the local electricity grid. It also strengthens our resilience in a context where interruptions in the electricity supply can affect daily operations.
The value of the installation has already become visible. During a recent power outage, the solar system helped us continue our work.
For Green Phenix, circularity does not stop with materials. It also requires us to consider the energy behind collecting, processing and transforming those materials. Powering more of our work with the Curaçao sun is therefore an important step towards a cleaner and more resilient local circular economy.
Bringing the Dreamfactory to life
Over the past months, we have been piloting the Dreamfactory as a place where community members can create, learn and connect.
During hands-on sessions, participants have used recovered plastic, bottle caps, beads and other materials to design their own jewelry, accessories and small products. Instead of only seeing discarded materials as waste, they are encouraged to experiment with what those materials could become.
The final products are important, but so is the process behind them. Participants make choices, try new techniques, solve practical problems and experience the satisfaction of creating something with their own hands.
These pilot activities are also helping us develop the wider Dreamfactory model: a community space where circular education, creative expression, skills development and local enterprise reinforce one another.
Our ambition is not simply to organise workshops. It is to create an environment in which people who may not always have access to creative or economic opportunities can explore their talents and contribute in a meaningful way.
Creating with the Blue Wave
The recent Blue Wave enthusiasm across Curaçao created a special opportunity to connect circular production with local pride.
Our team developed jewelry, accessories, planters and other products in Curaçao’s distinctive blue-and-yellow colours. Community members and children were also able to incorporate these colours into their own creations.
Responding to this moment allowed us to experiment with new designs, reach new customers and demonstrate that locally made circular products can carry more than environmental value. They can also express identity, celebration and a shared connection to the island.
For Green Phenix, product development is an essential part of building a sustainable social enterprise. Every locally made product contributes to reducing waste, creating meaningful work and generating income that can help support our wider social and educational activities.
Creating opportunities for children
We are now preparing a programme of holiday activities for groups of children.
Through playful and practical sessions, children will be invited to explore materials, create their own objects and learn that waste does not have to represent the end of a product’s life. With imagination and care, it can become the starting point for something new.
The activities will introduce children to reuse and circularity in a way that is accessible and enjoyable. At the same time, they will practise creative problem-solving, collaboration and decision-making.
Most importantly, we want every child to leave with the experience of having made something valuable.
By offering these activities during the school holidays, the Dreamfactory can become a welcoming place where children are able to learn, create and feel part of a more sustainable future for their island.
Challenges and next steps
The Dreamfactory concept is developing, but continuity in funding remains essential. Creative activities require materials, preparation, facilitation and a safe and welcoming space. At the same time, we continue to invest in the equipment and people needed to collect and process plastic locally.
In the coming months, we will focus on:
We will also continue working towards a model in which product income, partnerships and donations together provide a stronger foundation for long-term impact.
Thank you
Your support makes this work possible.
It helps us provide materials and guidance for creative activities. It helps us keep opportunities accessible to children and community members. It also helps us maintain a place where recovered materials can be transformed into products, skills, confidence and connection.
At Green Phenix, we believe that both materials and people deserve the opportunity to reveal their value.
By supporting the Dreamfactory, you help us turn local waste into local opportunity and create a more circular, inclusive and resilient Curaçao.
Please consider renewing your support or sharing our project with someone who believes in the power of creativity, participation and second chances.
Thank you for continuing this journey with us.
Warmly,
Sabine and the Green Phenix team
By Sabine Berendse | Founder
By Sabine Berendse | Founder
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