Upcycling may not be a term you’ve heard before, but it’s a concept generating healthy interest. It’s essentially the process of converting waste materials or seemingly useless materials into new and better products. Upcycling makes something of equal or better value without downgrading the original material or creating more pollution in the process.
This is by no means a new concept. The practice of Upcycling is a necessity for people unable to acquire raw materials, particularly in developing countries with scarce materials and a non-existent waste disposal system. There are endless examples of the practice including: making sandals from rubber tyres that are no longer road-worthy, or the story of Azmeraw Zeleke from Ethiopia who began making coffee machines from burnt out mortar shell casings. Currently there is an exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum, which has on display historical and contemporary Upcycled items including a “bush pantry” from 1930 made from a kerosene drum, and a chair from 1910 made from cotton reels.
Upcycling has recently come to our attention via groups looking to highlight our excessive consumption and waste, and our ability to turn this around with simple DIY projects. The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre Co-operative in Marrickville collects and repairs pre-loved household goods then resells them to the local community, diverting “waste” from the Sydney metropolitan waste stream. I spoke with Sam Worrad from The Bower.
Firstly, how did you become involved in The Bower?
I became involved over three years ago when I found the job on Ethical Jobs. I had worked in a corporate job previously so this seemed quite appealing. Also being a local resident I was aware of the Bower from the Sunday markets.
What are some of the backgrounds of the people who work at The Bower?
There are a lot of handy people who work here. We have a truck driver, metal workers, the coordinator is an artist who occasionally sells work on consignment, everyone is really into reupholstering, reuse and repair so there is a diverse range of people.
Could you tell us an interesting Upcycled item that you have seen or created?
One of the most interesting things I have seen was done by the Curb Collective in collaboration between The Bower and TAFE outreach, a program that focused on teaching skills to people with at-risk backgrounds. It was amazing to see what they had achieved at their first exhibition. Also we have a great consigner, Steve Swan. He worked on a converted rickshaw and also converted a wardrobe into a Doctor Who telephone booth which we were sad to see go.
What would be a great introductory project for someone who would like to get involved in Upcycling?
When I first sat in with the Curb Collective in one of their upholstering sessions I realised it wasn’t as difficult as I had thought. It is very time consuming but it’s not as hard as you think. The tools are relatively cheap and the satisfaction from a finished job is worth it. If you have an old chair lying around I think this would be a great way to begin.
Could you let us know how the community can get involved in the project?
We hold Men’s Shed every Thursday from 10am. We hold many workshops that range from bookmaking, bicycle repair, reupholstering to pallet planting. Check the website and the Facebook page for updates.
