Council supporting National Reuse Month
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| Sample of upcycling old furniture from Kilcullen's own recycling experts, Shabby Chic J&A. |
It is part of National Reuse Month, the second year the initiative has been organised.
It's all about educating people to repurpose, refurbish, donate, sell or repair old items giving them a new lease of life and adding value.
Currently, Irish people reuse less than 2pc of old bulky goods, including furniture, with most of the remaining goods going to landfill.
Ireland has a significant number of skilled artists, craftspeople and handymen and women that can find new uses for old furniture, clothes, jewellery, bicycles and everyday items. Reuse Month 2017 will harness these skills and knowledge with others in their local area by assisting with workshops, classes and presentations.
According to Dara Wyer, Environmental Awareness Officer with Kildare County Council, the aim is to change attitudes so that people see the potential in discarded materials and resources rather than just seeing waste. "Reuse doesn’t just divert waste from our landfills, it also saves resources, creates employment and helps consumers save money," he says.
In addition, Freetrade Ireland is also sponsoring Upcycle Challenge 2017, a challenge to create something new out of something old, with a €1,000 prize. There's also a new national category especially for Men’s Sheds, where the best entry from a Men’s Sheds group will win €1,000.
Participants are asked to take 'before' and 'after' photos of their projects and send them to info@freetradeireland.ie. Entry forms are available at www.freetradeireland.ie. The competition will close at 5pm on Monday 16 October 2017.
The workshops in County Kildare are: Saturday 7 October 8.45am to 3pm in The Cottage Market in Newbridge Town Hall; Saturday 14 October 10am to 4pm in McAuley Place, Naas; Friday 20 October 10am to 3.30pm (closed 1-2) in Newbridge Library; Saturday 21 Oct 1pm to 6pm in Monasterevin Community Centre; and Saturday 28 October 10am to 4pm in Celbridge Mill Community Centre.
The themes range from Grow It Yourself Gardening, through Upcycled Fashions and Recycled Bike Artwork, to How to Minimize Food Waste and Make Your Own Cloths and Cleaning Products. And much more — details are available here.
