Sugru ❤️ May 2022

WONDERFUL NEWS & STORIES ABOUT REPAIR, WASTING LESS, AND OTHER WHOLESOME STUFF THAT WE'RE TOTALLY GETTING BEHIND THIS MONTH.

Trash Embroidery

Swedish artist William KW has taken the concept of traditional embroidery… and trashed it! The quirky artist thrifts all sorts of trash – from shoe cleats to plastic caps, buttons to vape covers – and transforms them into the most wonderfully weird pieces. From orangutan clowns and cheeky little mutants to hot air balloon creatures and more. All while highlighting the beauty in discard. Anyone for a William KW on their wall? 🙌

Trash embroidery
Josephine from Sojo

Sojo means business

Venture Capital fundraising is no walk in the park. And when you’re a 24-year-old woman of colour, advocating for your own startup is seriously tough. But Josephine Philips IS tough. And her belief in Sojo – the UK’s first clothing alterations and repairs app – saw her recently raise $2.4 million in funding. Sojo connects brands and people with seamsters around the UK, to “increase the circularity of clothing and decrease its carbon footprint,” says Josephine. 

We cannot wait to watch Sojo become a disruptor in their space! 💪

There's beauty in broken

The ancient Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi really is something to live by. Writer Omar Itani says, "Wabi is about recognising beauty in humble simplicity. Sabi is concerned with the passage of time, the way all things grow, age and decay, and how it manifests itself beautifully in objects.”

Wabi Sabi book
Family eating at a table

Normalising the imperfect

We stumbled across this brilliant family game to normalise imperfections on Big Life Journal. Here's how to play:

1. Set a day once a week, month or once every 3 months, (totally up to you!) to partake in this game at dinnertime.

2. Everyone must bring something that is broken or imperfect with them.

3. Take it in turns to discuss what you've brought with you to show, what is broken or imperfect about it, and what you can appreciate about it in it's imperfect state.

Not only is it fun, but it also allows us look at imperfections from a different perspective: acknowledgement, acceptance and even celebration! “It takes a wabi heart to recognise sabi beauty" - Omar Itani 🥰

Bubbles to save the day!

The Great Bubble Barrier is a Dutch start-up with an aim to rid rivers of plastic waste before it reaches our oceans. By placing a tube that pumps out a 'wall of bubbles' diagonally across the river, the rising bubbles are able to push plastic to the sides, and into a trap. It's ingenious! Take a look at @sambentley's awesome explanation.

But it's not only the Dutch that can benefit from this anti-waste system. The Great Bubble Barrier want to extend their good work far and wide, so here's hoping that a Bubble Barrier gets installed in your local waterway.

Bubbles

Add a Sugru step to the game!

How would you repair your broken or imperfect item to make it functional again or keep it going for longer? All whilst celebrating the repair!

Expert fixing advice

By now you’re well aware that we’re ardent supporters of fixing our much-loved items instead of ditching and replacing them with new ones. We found this article on The Guardian really helpful in terms of which home appliances we could attempt to fix ourselves, or send off for repairs. 🤓

Shimmery planet

What's Earth Overshoot Day?


We know we’re using up the planet’s resources, but did you know at what scale? To live sustainably on Earth we have to use resources at a rate that they can be regenerated, and at the moment we’re not.

Earth Overshoot Day calculates the day in the year that we as humanity have used up one year’s worth of resources, and that date is creeping forward year on year. This date has also been worked out for each country, to calculate who is consuming resources at what rate. The UK’s Earth Overshoot Day fell on 19th May. @sustainableish explained it best as "If everyone lived and consumed as we do here in the UK, we would be using up resources that cannot be replenished from this point until the end of the year."  To be aware of  our level of consumption is to start the process of curbing it. 

Find out when your country's Overshoot Day is here.


Climate action heroes

It’s been a year since the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, Satya Rhodes-Conway, announced the city’s Climate Forward agenda to “accelerate climate action for the benefit of our community and our world” and we’re blown away by all that’s been implemented. 

  • The city is aiming to have 100% of its electricity needed for city operations come from renewable sources by 2030, and they’re well on their way at 75%
  • Local businesses are being encouraged to become more sustainable and incorporate solar energy with the aid of financial assistance through the city’s MadiSUN Program
  • And to boost a more climate-friendly economy, Madison is training people in green jobs such as as solar panel and LED lighting installation, tree planting and working with electric vehicles

We love to see it! We just hope more places will follow suit. 🤞

Hands on a tree
Barbican centre

In London anytime soon?

Wonder over to the exciting exhibition 'Our Time on Earth' at the Barbican centre, running until 29th August 2022. An immersive experience that explores 'dynamic responses' to our fast-changing climate. We'll be sure to pop along. Will you? 

Apple Self Service Repair Store

It was meant to be a joyous moment when Apple launched their Repair Store last month. A service which makes spare parts available to customers to be able to repair their devices themselves. Finally, right to repair is becoming a reality, right? Wrong. Read some reviews here.

Someone repairing their phone

Want more to be inspired by? Check out what we loved in April. ❤️