Highly Commended: Up-cycled Studios | Teaching people the skills to upcycle unwanted household objects.

What is the problem you found?

Many people would like to minimise the amount of waste that goes into landfill, but they don't have the skills or the support to make a different choice. So many items that are discarded can either be easily fixed with the right know-how and tools, or up-cycled into new items giving them new life so they can be used again or sold, and reducing the amount of waste going into landfill. 

What is your opportunity?

How might we minimise waste while educating and encouraging upcycling of unwanted items?

Who is your audience?

Our customers are people who want to live more sustainably but need some more knowledge and support to do so. Many households throw out unwanted or out-of-use items which often end up in landfills. Given the option, people who are environmentally minded would choose to recycle these items. It would be great if there was a place where people could learn how to up-cycle and reuse or repurpose such items.

What Is Your Solution?

At Up-cycle Studios we give people the skills, knowledge and tools to turn old, unwanted items into new and improved objects. People can bring in items from their homes or businesses that are broken, worn-out or unwanted to be fixed and upcycled. We also source items like furniture from op shops and council pick-ups that we can use to demonstrate upcycling and then sell in our store. We partner with businesses such as bunnings to source materials that would otherwise be thrown away including half-used paints, wood off-cuts and used tools. 

Profit made from our store pays for the resources we need to run our workshops such as tools and equipment, and our workshop facilitators. Any profits left-over get donated to charity.