To celebrate National Recycling Week’s 25th anniversary, Gumtree recently launched a limited edition collection of upcycled home décor and accessories in partnership with emerging Melbourne artists, Josh and Matt Design.
Gumtree’s first interiors line, Gumtree Collections with Josh & Matt, features a range of one-of-a-kind homewares including furniture and home décor.
David Low, Gumtree Australia spokesperson, says Gumtree wanted to recognise the anniversary milestone and demonstrate the incredible potential of upcycling.
“Gumtree is committed to empowering Australians to unlock the financial and environmental benefits of the circular economy, both as buyers wanting to save money and make sustainably-minded purchasing decisions and sellers who love upcycling items for others to enjoy,” he says.
“Gumtree Collections has also enabled us to highlight emerging Australian artists like Josh & Matt Design, who proudly embody circular economy values by choosing pre-loved over new and engaging in upcycling and DIY to produce premium items.”
The new collection features 25 unique, upcycled pieces from items originally sourced on Gumtree including a chromatic dining table, a supernova statement mirror, a dazzling buffet and a macramé table lamp as well as powerful sculptures and vibrant vases.
“This collection is inspired by our interest in space and the universe, which we have blended with our love of colour, shape and textures,” the duo explains.
“Many of the pieces are modular and interactive, which is how we like to design home décor and accessories. We designed these objects with the mindset that these will be in our own apartment, so it feels like you’re buying a piece of our home.”
By upcycling furniture to avoid the need to buy new and keep pre-loved items away from landfill, Josh & Matt’s entire line saved approximately 1,136kg of carbon emissions (COâ‚‚), which is the estimated equivalent to the COâ‚‚ emissions of powering one Australian home for 23 days.
“We wanted to show that there’s beauty in everything and with a bit of love and care, you too can find items on Gumtree to upcycle and make a positive impact on the home and planet,” they add.
“Creating DIY objects around our home during lockdown was how Josh & Matt Design was born and this collection feels like an extension of that. It embodies who we are and our creative journey so far.”
All proceeds of the collection, which is available now, will be donated to Gumtree’s sustainability partner and environmental organisation, Planet Ark.
“As a Planet Ark partner and sponsor of National Recycling Week this year, we hope Gumtree Collections with Josh & Matt inspires Australians to look for creative ways to extend the life of items they have at home, breathing new life into things through upcycling to either enjoy anew or sell on the platform,” adds Low.
