Let’s be honest, there’s no need to make any more stuff out of virgin materials. Almost everything we need already exists and can be reused, repaired, renovated, recycled or reimagined.
Let’s build the future out of things that are already here in our neighbourhoods and communities. In essence this is what Wastesmiths CIC and wastesmithing is all about.
Some of the Wastesmiths team has been away on adventures over the last month, which has offered opportunities to see wastesmithing with fresh eyes and find wastesmithing in unexpected places.
The act of wastesmithing invites interesting thought journeys around the history of an object. It’s fair to say that not all of our team are massive history buffs, though when reusing, repairing, renovating, recycling or reimagining an object, the history of that object is a fundamental part of rethinking its future.
Sometimes the history of an object can bring additional perceived value to that future, and sometimes it can undermine it.
Is the new thing made out of a historic landmark or a piece of litter that’s been kicked down the street?
Value can be so wrapped up in the story an object tells and the story we tell about an object.
The letters in this post were part of a weigh bridge in Victoria Quay in Sheffield… a weigh bridge with enough lettering to spell out our name. We are surrounded by objects with a history, each one inviting us to write the next chapter in their story ♻️💚🌍
Wastesmiths C.I.C. 
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