Three tips from The ReUsery’s ‘Eco Kitchen’ workshop

Delphine Briere is a workshop facilitator at The ReUsery, a not-for-profit organisation based in Redfield promoting sustainable development through reduce, reuse, repair, upcycle and recycle initiatives. Here she shares some tips from The ReUsery’s ‘Eco Kitchen’ workshop.

Have you been to The ReUsery yet? Our new not-for-profit organisation runs various sustainable lifestyle workshops for adults and children. We live and breath reduce, reuse, repair, upcycle and recycle! In our recent ‘Eco Kitchen’ workshop, we explored a number of different ways to cut waste in the kitchen including:

1) Your old newspaper can be used to make a bin liner for your compost bin or a seeded tray to grow your own food and herbs.

2) Fruit peels can be mixed with water and sugar, then, after fermentation, the mixture becomes a natural homemade cleaning vinegar for multi-purpose use.

3) Wash your dishes with a reusable textile sponge made out of your old socks and tights simply weaved!

If you want more tips to improve the environmental sustainability of your individual lifestyle – and get creative along the way – pop to our stall during Redfest on Saturday 3^rd August. You will find lots of info and have to chance to make some reuse craft for free.

As a reuse maker with a desire to raise awareness of unnecessary waste and its links to climate change, I helped set up The Reusery wanting to get people practically involved in a creative, fun and non-patronising way. The organisation is also an umbrella for sustainable makers who can use the shared facilities and benefit from the work opportunities. The more makers and people involved the bigger impact we have.

Another big date in the diary for us is TheReusery Open Day on Saturday 7th September 11am-4pm at the studio. This will be the perfect occasion to have a nose at our workshop studio, tools, materials and books of ideas. There will be free reuse craft workshops for adults and little ones and the new programme of workshops for September to December will be released.

Expect some beeswax food wrap-making workshops (using wax from Bristol-based bee hives), reusable bulk and bread bag-making, a series of workshops on keeping you warm and saving energy during winter, some parent and children reuse craft sessions, some reuse Christmas present making and much more. Whether you are crazy for eco-crafts or completely new to the reuse lifestyle, this family-friendly event will bring out your inner creativity.

We are always looking for workshop facilitators too, so please get in touch if you would like to help in that way.

For more information about The ReUsery, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more ideas and workshops.