We are excited to have so many makers in our midst, who have sustainability at the forefront of all they do. Their number one goal is reducing their business’ environmental footprint while creating amazing, high quality products to help make sustainable shopping easier for you!
Items destined for landfill are given a magical makeover and repurposed into something you will love and cherish for years to come. Every stitch and design choice made by these makers is a journey toward an eco-friendly revolution! When you make a purchase from a designer or producer within the Handmade community, you’re not just shopping; you’re part of an Australian-made movement.
Homewares making the old new again
ReSampled is a passionate business keeping designer furnishing fabrics from landfill and turning them into joyful and sustainable cushions and homewares. The cushions have concealed zippers and are filled with fibre created in Australia from recycled plastic bottles. Each piece is a limited edition giving the home a unique decor.
Creating one-of-a-kind platters and cheese boards in their Sydney studio, Upcycled Bottle Art reshapes recycled wine bottles into conversation-starting glassware. Gourmet foodies and wine lovers alike are drawn to the simple and attractive platter designs to accompany all types of delicious dips and treats and cheese lovers admire the dishwasher friendly boards as a curious party feature.
I Am Someone creates beautiful, recycled timber photo blocks with each block depicting images from charity founder and photographer Steve Argent. Not only do the images bring colour, hope and joy from around the world, each block helps transform the lives of children living in poverty by funding educational projects.
Fashion with a Zero Waste Ethos
For the practical, conscious consumer and self expressive folks – look towardSpunky Bruiser for a full inclusive range of off the rack pieces, or have something custom made. With over 15 years experience, their broad range of multi-seasonal offerings are all made in their Eora / Sydney studio from locally sourced recycled materials – they can even include your sentimental textiles in a custom made garment and offer made to measure services too. Their signature reversible jackets are an extra special treat!
Robyn from Woven by Society is inspired by creative processes that are sustainable and provide slow fashion. Using her experience as a designer, she creates unique ranges of clothes which are designed to last a lifetime. Robyn uses her exceptional eye for textures and patterns to curate her collections. By using simple designs, her products showcase the incredible fabric. Robyn offers a range of items, all handmade in Melbourne. The collections include ready to wear essentials and premiums, limited editions, no waste clothing as well as custom made items.
Bubbles For Poppet originated out of the love for creating beautiful clothes for babies. After working in the fashion industry for over ten years, Manjari wanted to share her love for handprinted textiles and all things handmade. Only the finest fabrics make it to their products and they source directly from the craftsman to ensure fair trade as well as promoting arts. They are also very strong advocates of sustainability and work on keeping their business to a zero waste, by reusing and recycling all of their fabric scraps. They make beautiful pieces for precious little ones!
Jewellers with a focus on upcycling
Inspired by Australia’s magnificent landscapes and the coastal views where she grew up, Samantha Abbottprioritises sustainability through up-cycling and recycling of glass such as chanel perfume bottles & Bombay Sapphire bottles, and transforming them into a gorgeous glass beaded collection.
SouthGround unique art jewellery is created by hand on Ngunnawal country. Experimental enameling combines with sterling silver in eye-catching bespoke pieces of vibrant colour and avante-garde design. Focusing on sustainable practices, recycled materials are used whenever possible, and without compromising on quality.
Created by Culture is an eco-friendly jewellery brand that creates stunning pieces out of recycled glass. They collect discarded bottles and glass, which they then clean, melt, and mould into beautiful upcycled treasures. It feels great to support sustainable businesses, and to look good while doing it!
If sustainable shopping is important to you, a browse through our Australian Made Directory will certainly help you find more eco-friendly makers to fall in love with. Our blog post on Sustainable Fashion designers may also be of interest.
