Anne Pearce’s wine rack.

Local woman shortlisted for upcycling award

A Hastings woman is one of ten shortlisted finalists in a nationwide upcycling competition. The winner will be decided by public vote and announced on 6 April. Nick Terdre reports.

Anne Pearce of Hastings has made the shortlist of the Upcycler of the Year contest with an upcycled wine rack made from two pallets. Other finalists have produced such items as an upcycled TV stand, chest of drawers, bedside tables, decking and furniture, tree house and even a caravan upcycled into a temporary kitchen.

Photos of all these creations can be seen online, where votes can also be cast.

The competition is the brainchild of Ryobi Tools, which supplied the power tools for the work.

“Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value,” Wikipedia tells us.

Upcycled tree house by Ashley Gill of Portsmouth.

Ryobi also sings its praises. “Upcycling is a growing trend and with good reason. A fresh coat of paint can instantly refresh a piece of unloved furniture.” It cites five key benefits of upcycling: it conserves the environment, preserves limited resources, reduces the cost of production, turns unused items into saleable objects and encourages creativity and innovation.

In these days of the coronavirus, we might also add that it is a handy activity to engage in during self-isolation.

According to research carried out for Ryobi, 61% of respondents said the little touches really make a difference, while 19% maintained that home crafting is vital to make a house a home.

The winner of the competition will take home a hamper of Ryobi’s crafting tools worth over £750.

Also in: Hastings People