PVC (polyvinyl chloride) coated polyester fabric is an extremely durable, weather resistant material, perfect for the banners and billboards installed on construction hoardings. Yet, banners are often only required for a specific purpose and short periods. What happens when they are taken down? A resourceful business might store them away for potential reuse – perhaps […]
We won! On 13 March, MetroBird — an upcycled flying contraption built and designed by UpShop Industries — won the 2022 Birdman Rally. It didn’t matter that MetroBird only ‘flew’ 2.5 metres and ended up in the Yarra river. The efforts of pilot, Anna Gleeson, were valiant, and the dedicated Metro ‘pirates’ — motivated by […]
In March, 2017, Ray, the owner of Excell Press, officially retired after fifty years. Keen to talk, we stepped inside his small Brunswick factory just down the road from Upshop, just as a storm began and the deafening sound of the rain on the roof made it impossible to hear. But that didn’t seem to […]
Upcycling can provide new life to unwanted materials – and spark new friendships. In 2016, UpShop started working with Kestrel, a chef who has spent many years working in hatted restaurants, including Sofitel, Matteos, Garden State Hotel, and Tansy, on transforming his little cafe in Camberwell, Enter Neighbour, into a place he could call his […]