About Us

Who We Are

Upcycle Newcastle (a project of Transition Newcastle) is a not-for-profit organisation in Newcastle, Australia. We are passionate about the circular economy and saving textile waste from landfill through creative re-use and repair. Rather than seeing waste as an end product to be discarded, we prefer to see it as a new beginning.

Driven by our commitment to the environment, we address the challenge of waste generated by society. Responding in positive, creative ways we aim to inspire and empower individuals to reduce textile waste by transforming it into new items of value.

What We Do

We promote the circular economy.
We run upcycling workshops, courses and events at our Shed (Shed 7D, 50 Clyde St, Hamilton North), in schools and the community in the Newcastle and Hunter area.
We make and sell products made from re-purposed jeans, T-shirts and other clothing and textile waste. Visit our shop here or at our Shed to find upcycled products made by our members and volunteers.
We sell materials for upcycling, including jeans ($2), T-shirts ($1), discarded fabrics and haberdashery items.
We offer connection with like-minded people in a meaningful and purposeful way.

The Samaritans Foundation Opportunity shops donate discarded jeans and T-shirts to us and we are very grateful for their support of our work. We're also grateful for the support we've received from Hunter Councils, and NSW and Australian government through grants and contracts.

The Circular Economy

The circular economy creates a loop by keeping resources and products in circulation for as long as possible. It extends the life cycle of products in many ways including: Upcycling, repairing, reusing, sharing, leasing, recycling.

The traditional linear economic approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable – environmentally and socially. It leads to more and more waste by going along a straight line of: Taking, making, consuming, throwing away.

Rather than keep stuff in circulation, the liner approach relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy. It is made worse by planned obsolescence where products have been designed to have a limited lifespan and encourage consumers to buy it again. (Just look at fast fashion!)

The circular economy, on the other hand, aims to keep waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible. These can be productively used again and again, thereby creating further value.

By using discarded clothing and textile items, Upcycle Newcastle is part of the circular economy. In creating new items from old, we are reducing the demand on new resources as well as saving waste going to landfill.

Become a member

Membership is $25/year and includes $20 worth of materials from Upcycle Newcastle (one purchase per year), member only workshops and member only offers.

To become a member visit https://www.joinit.org/o/upcycle-newcastle.

Transition Newcastle

Upcycle Newcastle is a project of Transition Newcastle Inc. Transition Newcastle is based on The Transition Network model, which is a global, grassroots phenomenon creating community responses that address climate change and environmental sustainability. Instead of focusing on what we don’t want, the key to the Transition Network model is focusing on creating positive visions and projects to create a truly sustainable and resilient society – a society which satisfies the needs of the present generation without compromising the capacity of future generations, a resilient society that can function and develop despite any challenges to the system it relies upon.

ABN: 76 703 651 788

Transition Newcastle is a registered charity.