Umbrella Funeral

When the awful weather strikes, the need arises for protection against the rain in the form of the umbrella. An invention that often works well in the rain...but when combined with the wind, the invention doesn't always stand up to such strong element. To all broken umbrellas everywhere...

Where would you take an umbrella to be fixed? How could they be upcycled and turned into a more valuable product? Repair not replace!

Throw Away Future: Tonight

Friday 27th November, 8pm

House Upcycling!

Taken from the itv.co./tonight website...

"Tonight’s challenge is to make-over a family’s home using only furniture, fabrics and paints headed for landfill. Anything considered to be junk by its previous owners will be eligible material for our family’s home’s make-over. With only one week to source the furniture and one week to re-decorate the whole house, the question is will our family actually like their new home filled with other people’s rubbish? "

Furniture upcycling with 'eco designer' Oliver Heath and...

"Sussex University product design students, keen to put their skills to the test and find out more about sustainable living."

The website also give advice on the businesses used:

The Furniture Re-use Network http://www.frn.org.uk/
Emmaus http://www.emmaus.org.uk/
Shabitat http://www.magpie.coop/shabitat.php
YMCA http://www.hoveymca.org.uk/charity_shops
Furniture Aid South Thames http://www.furniture-aid.co.uk/

As well as furniture the house also required textiles and mentions a favourite, LMB!

"For the décor most of the material came from LMB recycling. On an average week LMB now collects 170 to 200 tonnes of textiles, clothing and shoes from its recycling banks spread across the South East. It’s the sort of fabric which might end up in a charity shop near you. They do lots of work in their local community and have a shop on Bethnal Green Road, London, selling clothes designed entirely in re-used cloth from their textile bins. The chair in the living room was upholstered using these fabrics by Brighton University Textile students." www.itv.com/tonight


Check out Oliver Heaths website
for Heath Design, Eco Design, Interiors and Architecture.

Even though this is not directly related to Fashion, the concepts of Upcycling, Zero Waste, and Landfil Diversion are central to this inititative undertaken for the TV programme.

Now let's hope for a Wardrobe equivalent!! Fingers Crossed!!!