All of my Diverted Creations are handmade in New Zealand from repurposed and second-hand materials, and things that might otherwise have ended up in landfill or other waste streams.

Landfill waste, textile waste and plastic pollution are massive issues worldwide and we all have a responsibility to make choices that reduce our waste and preserve our beautiful planet. I acknowledge that we are all at different stages of our zero waste journey, and encourage everyone to consider the full lifecycle of their possessions – what they are made of, where these materials come from, and what happens to them when we are finished with them.

As we gradually make changes to more environmentally sustainable practices, it is important to reuse, repair, and repurpose what we already have before turning to new products and materials. All of my Diverted Creations originated because I had items that were well-used or perceived to be at the ‘end of their life’ and I was determined to find another use for them. The stock available in my shop is constantly evolving as I find package-free or plastic-free alternatives to the products I buy. If you have soft plastic packaging or old clothing/textiles you would like to divert into new items, please contact divertcreate to confirm what materials I am currently accepting.

Visit the Diverted Creations Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DivertedCreations/
for updates on upcoming or newly finished creations, behind-the-scenes views on how things are made, call-outs for Diverted materials that I'm running low on, and tips and ideas for ways you can reduce your waste by reusing, repairing, repurposing, and remaking things in creative ways.

About my Diverted materials:

• includes soft plastic food packaging, used clothing and bedding, reclaimed or second-hand yarn, fabric scraps, etc
• all materials are cleaned well prior to repurposing
• I avoid using old clothing that is still in good enough condition to wear or donate
• I hoard offcuts to use in other creations whenever possible and dispose of unusable offcuts responsibly: recycling, soft plastic recycling, scrap metal, compost (for 100% natural fibres like cotton and wool), and landfill as a last resort.
• I acknowledge that different people have different beliefs and feelings about how certain objects/materials should or shouldn’t be repurposed. Each listing describes the materials used in as much detail as possible so you can make a purchase that is right for you.

Shipping:

To align with my philosophy of reusing and repurposing materials, I aim to do the same with my packaging, which could include reused courier bags, bubble wrap and cardboard.

Whenever possible I will provide a choice of reused packaging options which you can specify in the comments when completing your purchase. For example, a certain type of packaging material may not be recyclable in your area. When combining shipping of multiple items, packaging may differ from what is stated, but I will endeavour to honour your packaging requests.