Limited imports and slow shipping through the pandemic has inspired business owners to bring back local furniture manufacturing using recycled plastic.
Over the past two years, shipping times and supply lines have been dramatically impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
Shortages have been felt in most sections, including furniture and homewares where customers have been waiting months and months for their pieces to arrive.
Frustrated by the shortages and lack of customer support, business owners Geoff and Jess Hodge dived headfirst into furniture and building manufacturing but with an added twist, they are using recycled plastic.
This is where Resourceful Living was created and their passion to bring alternative furniture to homes across the nation.
Their manufacturing factory is in Newcastle, where they create all sorts of furniture, homewares and building supplies and ship directly to the customer.
The reality of being able to use single-use plastic again and again is here.
“We began creating furniture pieces from dining tables, coffee tables through to serving boards, coat racks and Christmas trees, but we are now shaking up the building industry,” Jess said
“Through Resourceful Living we are proud to be launching a DIY range that includes products such as, kitchen/laundry benchtops, splash backs, tiles, skirting boards, quad, panels, vanity tops and a few more in development. This range compliments their furniture that when first looking at it resembles marble or terrazzo.”
Jess is passionate about employment of Aussies and bringing back manufacturing to Newcastle, that once was home to the large steel works of BHP.
“It is important to support Aussie products first before looking overseas,” she says.
The plastic used by Resourceful Living is HDPE (2) and LDPE (4) to create a variety of colours and products suited to the Aussie consumer.
High Density Poly Ethylene or HDPE is typically found as shampoo bottles, laundry detergent bottles, cosmetics, household cleaning products and wheelie bins.
The Low Density Poly Ethylene or LDPE is typically your grocery bags, plastic wrap and film. All these products are more often than not only used once and thrown away.
“Our plastic is sourced from throughout QLD, NSW and VIC. It is plastic waste found in our waterways, oceans, landfill, and general recycling. It is shipped to us in Newcastle and that is where the magic happens,” Jess concluded.
Resourceful Living also offer tabletops, so if it is only the top that needs replacing, keep the legs!
Since there is nothing added to the plastic, Geoff and Jess are proud to tell their customers that once they are done with their product, don’t throw it out, drop it back to them where it can be shredded down and made into something new.
IMAGE | Co-Founder of Resourceful Living, Jess Hodge.
