Exeter residents urged to join upcycling trend
Research released today by Ryobi has revealed that 42% of people in Exeter upcycle unused items around their home because they are conscious of the environment and want to become more sustainable.
Upcycling is a great way to save money around the house with 62% saying the little touches really make a difference and 13% of people saying home crafting is vital to make a house a home.
This has prompted the power tool manufacturer, Ryobi, to launch a search for the nation’s ‘Upcycler of the Year’! Additionally, to champion those already upcycling and to encourage the 58% of people in Exeter who admitted they currently haven’t “upcycled” an unused item in their home.
This competition is aimed at everyone interested in a creative challenge, turning trash into treasure. From turning bowler hats into lamps, old ladders into a bookshelf or teacups into candles. Whatever the creative upcycling project, Ryobi wants to see it!
Upcycling is a growing trend and with good reason. A fresh coat of paint can instantly refresh a piece of unloved furniture, alongside the five key benefits why people should upcycle:
1. Conserves the environment
Upcycling reduces the amount of waste that is dumped in the landfills. Some waste materials contain dangerous chemicals, which can cause soil degradation.
2. Preserves limited resources
Upcycling eliminates the need to produce raw or new materials which also cuts down on air and water pollution.
3. Reduces the cost of production
Through upcycling, the cost of production can be drastically reduced.
4. Financial benefit
Upcycle your unused items and sell them through sites such as eBay and Etsy.
5. Encourages creativity and innovation
Creating a unique and stylish product takes a lot of creativity to come up witha meaningful item from the waste.
When Brits have an unused item in their home 9% immediately bin it and only 16% re-purpose it. Age groups 18-24 and 55-64 are the most likely to re-purpose an item, with 20% of each age group immediately re-purposing unused items by upcycling.
The research revealed one in five admitted they don’t upcycle as they don’t know how or don’t have the appropriate tools. Followed by the main reason people don’t upcycle is due to the fact they don’t feel creative enough.
To support the budding world of upcycling, Ryobi is supplying one lucky winner a craft hamper worth over £750, containing tools such as the ONE+ stapler, glue gun and multi tool, allowing Brits to kick start their creativity to upcycle and turn their house into a home.
To enter simply upload a photo of the upcycling project with a brief description towww.ryobitools.co.uk/upcycle before 20th March 2020. The entries will then be shortlisted to a top 10 before going to a public vote which starts on the 21st March and closes on the 30th March. The entry with the most votes will be the winner.
Thomas Leather, Marketing Manager for Ryobi UK, commented: “Our extensive survey clearly shows that upcycling is a growing trend and we want to champion and encourage more people to start turning their discarded household items into loved ones again, and it really isn’t hard to do, you just need a bit of inspiration and the right tools. No matter the skill set, we are excited to see the different projects people come up with from Exeter!”
The winner will be announced at the end of March 2020.
