ReCreate Waste into Value - Skills Based Upcycling Workshops
Welcome to The Re-Creators, a Social Enterprise in Tāmaki Makaurau & the Waikato, dedicated to promoting upcycling through DIY workshops, locally made products, and custom circular designs.
Our diverse collective of upcycling creatives offers tutoring, design thinking, and manufacturing services, believing in the positive impact of working with reclaimed materials on mental wellbeing and restoring Papatūānuku.
Explore our range of upcycling workshops for all ages and visit our online store, where our prices reflect fair wages and material preparation efforts. Join our collective in supporting collaborative learning and sustainable creativity, rescuing discarded materials for a second chance on our planet.
Impact Reports - Reimagine Waste into Value
Our mission at The ReCreators is to transform perceptions of waste by nurturing a culture of upcycling, encouraging design thinking, skill-building, and promoting mental wellbeing through the act of making, ultimately reducing consumption of virgin materials and diverting waste from landfills. We measure behaviour before and after our workshops.
We believe that over-consumerism is one of the many factors threatening our planet.
Have a look at our annual reports.
Local Craftmanship & Employment
All our products are made in New Zealand and our website supports all creative ReCreators on a journey towards business success, financial sustainability and community integration.
How items are priced
Our ReCreators are encouraged to price workshops and items according to the time they spent making an item (using the Living Wage as a minimum), the cost of materials and a small percentage to cover their equipment and design costs.
What is Upcycling?
Upcycling is creative reuse through reviving old materials or unwanted items into new materials or products of better quality and better environmental value than the original.
We reimagine waste into value!!
Upcycling vs Recycling
Waste Disposal is a growing global issue. Upcycling (re-using) takes items from the disposal pattern. Upcycling only requires your own creativity and elbow grease. It has a near to zero carbon emissions and prevents the purchase of new products.
Recycling requires energy to break down and re-use materials. It requires high cost machinery, lots of transportation and energy.
Why Upcycle?
Preventing extraction and landfill. There are many low-cost and/or free objects that only require a few accessories, equipment, and time to transform them into new and fabulous products. There are endless creative opportunities. Additionally, upcycling can bring income/ employment opportunities to local communities and provide skills around creativity. This is the beginning of a true circular economy.
What Can I Upcycle?
There are endless creations to be made from old wood, wine bottles, cans, newspapers, milk cartons, tyres, suitcases, clothes, you name it. Anything old can be made new again. This is where real creativity happens. Check our Instagram or Facebook pages for inspiration.
About the Founder
Ger, with a previous background in government refugee and protection matters, ventured into entrepreneurship with The ReCreators, championing creative upcycling to cultivate a slower, more mindful economy rooted in social and environmental justice.
How can I Support The Re-Creators or other charities?
- Learn the skills of upcycling by joining one of our many workshops
- Next time you want to purchase a new item – check out The ReCreators website first. Buy something funky and upcycled, made locally. Think about all your purchases - who you are purchasing from and how has the product been made.
- Sort through your wardrobes, garage or workplace and see if you can donate items to local upcycling community groups, or give us a call if you want to donate directly to our ReCreators.
- We are always looking for help with marketing, website content, copyrighting, blogging, photography, videography – so if you have these skills, please get in contact by emailing help@therecreators.co.nz.
- Spread the word. If you like what we’re doing, and our upcycled products, then please promote The ReCreators to your friends and on social media. We post regularly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so feel free to share our updates.
- Donate. Tax deductible donations will be used towards workshops, product donations to vulnerable groups or they can pay for materials and/or tools to make products. Our Charitable Trust account number is 06-0622-0979540-00