UandU - Upcycle and Upskill

Under the auspices of leading social enterprises Enable, Colourful Collective and community makerspace UandU comprises three chapters:
1. Bush clean-ups modelling experiential education;
- Learning from local botanists and indigenous guides.
- Removing waste from local parklands.
- Connecting community to natural environment.

2. Public upcycle workshops:
- Creative in-home-recycling techniques transforming plastic waste into useful items.
- Ensuring attendance of marginalised people, liaising with local humanitarian organisations.

3. Two Intern-placements for marginalised people with Colourful Collective:
- Partnering with Enable for e-waste reduction.
- Empowering through employability skills; soft-skills, recycling/design industry experience.
- Stimulating local economy/ collaborating with designers.

Plastic makes up 80% of all waste in the oceans, a global problem. We can have an impact by removing it from our shared local environments. Darebin is a culturally diverse region, this project aims to foster more positive connections in the community, involving everyone in the solution to Australia’s waste crisis.

In light of China’s national Sword policy the recycling industry is set to grow, creating new employment opportunities in Australia. Internships for marginalised people will provide advantageous skillsets for this opportunity and into the future. 150 people will be reached in this scalable pilot venture.