FOUND:ling Reusery was established in 2018 because we saw the need to showcase the beauty, functionality and circularity of reuse to the broader community. We knew that there was incredible work going on across Australia in thousands of homes and small workshops, transforming waste and unwanted goods into creations of beauty, functionality and sustainability. While this great work was occurring, it was hidden from most of the community, found and loved only by those who knew to seek it out, and we set out to change that, by making such goods visible and accessible to all.
In 2018, with assistance from Renew Geelong, we launched as The Reimaginarium. We had grand plans of building a retail space to rival the likes of Myer, offering solely sustainable, circular economy products made from salvaged materials. All of the convenience of a department store, without the waste and environmental impact. In the years since we have learnt that the community does want quality, sustainable salvaged goods, but the reuse industry in Australia, as beautiful and vibrant as it is, is not ready to supply the commercial volumes of goods needed to sustain emporiums and department stores yet.
To help the reuse industry grow, we decided that a new way of providing exposure was needed. Instead of one giant store, which would require remakers to produce commercial quantities of goods, we instead reflected on the impact that our foundation store in Geelong has had to date, and realised that the best way we could support Australia’s reuse industry to blossom was to replicate what we have already achieved. In 2023 we relaunched as FOUND:ling Reusery, a boutique retail experience showcasing carefully curated, accessibly priced, handcrafted reuse based goods of the highest quality. Our Geelong Reusery will form the basis for what we hope will eventually become a network of Reuserys, spread across the country, to provide exposure to market for all of the wonderful reuse businesses that already exist, and provide the community with a sustainable alternative to shopping new.
If you would like to join us in this adventure, please get in touch.
