Repairing and recycling, good for your pocket and the planet

Shepparton Men’s Shed has been repairing and building items for the community for 20 years and has undertaken a project to build nesting boxes for native wildlife to replace the ones that were destroyed in the Longwood bushfire.

The boxes are constructed from old pallets and must be made to specific dimensions to suit the needs of different target species.

The men have used reclaimed materials for everything from pulleys for Nagambie Sailing Club to dementia activity boards.

“Bring in your rubbish and we can turn it into something you can take home,” Men’s Shed member Gary Gray said.

Fellow member David Muir built a cubby house for Apple Blossoms Early Learning in Mooroopna out of wood recycled from risers donated by Notre Dame College.

“We had kids in it before we’d even put it down,” Mr Muir said.

Anna Balakas of Rushworth wanted a retro tyre swan but found they were too expensive, so she picked up the tools herself.

The recycled swan spiralled into a menagerie of chickens and native birds that she sells at local markets.

Ms Balakas emphasised the importance of safety gear such as respirators and long sleeves while working with tyres.

“It’s like doing a burnout on your face,” she said.

Ms Balakas has also constructed a shelter for her goats out of part of an old water tank and is building a pontoon from recycled pallets and other materials.

“If you can source the stuff, you can do a lot with it,” she said.

“It’s a bit harder, but you’re saving dollars.”

Judith Roberts of Shepparton runs ‘Tactile Textiles’. It is a group of women that meets twice a month, dedicated to recycling old fabrics into new items such as wall art and clothes.

Ms Roberts wasn’t always a textile artist, she only picked up the needle after retiring from teaching.

“I was one of those people who said ‘I don’t have an artistic bone in my body’,” she said.

Ms Roberts loves to work with silks; she started her journey by acquiring old scarves from op shops.

She finds that recycling materials helps save money and avoids “cluttering up the planet”.

The skills needed to make these items may seem intimidating if you have never sewn before, but the techniques needed for mending simple rips are straightforward and online tutorials are plentiful.

Ms Roberts encouraged others to give it a go.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, embrace the wonk,” she said.

“There’s nothing sexy about a straight line.”