Repurpose

Also known as upcycling, repurposing is all about giving items a new lease on life by using them in a way they weren’t originally designed for.

Think:

• a football jersey turned into a gym bag
• silver spoons reborn as rings
• a basketball made into a planter.

When an item can’t serve its original purpose anymore, that doesn’t mean it’s done. It might just be getting started.

The power of creative reuse

We don’t all have creative minds ot clever hands — and that’s okay. You don’t have to make it to make a difference. With REcheck, you can connect with:

• local secondhand and creative reuse stores
• artists and makers who upcycle materials into something amazing
• people who do have the vision and the tools
• community groups crafting for a purpose, eg. possum pouches
• inspiring ideas to do it yourself (or with a bit of help).

You might even be able to buy back what your item becomes. That's twice as cool - supporting the environment and the maker!

Repurposing can be as simple as using a jam jar as a pencil holder or as complex as vintage tapestries remade into shoulder bags, discarded doll parts assembled into mind-bending sculptures.

Reinvention

Upcycling can be functional, beautiful, bizarre, or brilliant, and sometimes all four.

Repurposing makes every item’s story longer and richer. It’s not the end of the line, it’s the start of something new. Or as I like to say - new to you.

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