Hackney Creative Reuse Project FAQ's

The Hackney Creative Reuse Project will connect local businesses with the well-established local maker community that is foundational to the history and development of Hackney.

With funding from the London Borough of Hackney, the Hackney Creative Reuse Project will officially launch for the public in July 2022 and will continue until the end of the year with a series of community events and pilots across the borough.

To find out about our vision, our partners, and how it all began, read our blog announcing the project.

We want to engage as many Hackney residents as possible with the concept of reusing materials, but you don’t have to be based in Hackney to participate. That said, because this is a Hackney-specific project, you’ll have to come to Hackney, where our collection points are located, in order to pick up materials.

To participate, all you need to do is become a member. Anyone over 18 based in the UK can become a member, and it’s completely free to do. We just ask that you follow a few rules around materials collection and that you answer a few questions in order for us to track the impact of our project. You can read our full T&Cs here

You can also get involved as a Hackney-based maker or business. To find out more, get in touch at admin@yodomo.co

The Hackney Creative Reuse Project is free for all, thanks to funding from Hackney Central Plan: Impact and Ideas Fund, coordinated by The London Borough of Hackney.

We will be setting up a collection point at Hackney City Farm for the duration of the project. Further information on collecting materials will be available soon. Unfortunately, we cannot arrange the delivery of materials. You can arrange for a courier or someone else to collect materials on your behalf.

A circular economy is "a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible". To find out more, read our article about reuse materials and the circular economy.

As much as you like! Or rather, as much as you’re able to while ensuring the material ends up getting used. The stipulation is that you use up the materials you’ve already taken and give us evidence of a completed project (such as a photo) before picking up more. This way, we can ensure that our goal of preventing materials from going to waste is met.

The Hackney Creative Reuse Project is a pilot project to test how Yodomo might help brands and manufacturers close the loop on surplus pre-consumer textile waste. The project is generously funded by the London Borough of Hackney, and the materials have been donated to us from businesses around the UK, including Hackney. This means there’s no cost to you, the participating member. All we ask is that you provide feedback so that we can measure the impact of this project.

The types of materials we currently have include pre-consumer surplus textiles, and we’re working to acquire more exciting materials that can be repurposed for creative projects.

You’ll be expected to get stuck into the exciting corresponding project, which we hope you’ll thoroughly enjoy! Once you’ve completed making your object, we will be asking for feedback, including a photo of your completed masterpiece and answering a short survey. Once you’ve provided feedback, you’ll be able to take more materials for a new project. And the cycle continues!

The timeframe will depend on the project you’ll be doing. Some projects will be quick and easy, while others may require a bit more dedication. We’ll provide guidelines and recommendations on timelines for each project, and we’ll send gentle reminders so that you’ll continue to be motivated to complete your work of art!

We’ll be holding creative workshops on all sorts of textile crafts, such as sewing, macrame and more. Sign up as a member to be the first to know about our live workshops!

All materials will be domestic grade. If members are planning to sell their finished products on, they’ll need to ensure that they fulfil safety requirements for commercial resell.

Our ultimate aim with the Hackney Creative Reuse Project is to test out how effectively Yodomo can connect pre-consumer waste from Hackney Businesses to the creative maker community who can reuse those materials in order to divert waste materials from incineration and landfill. The data we gather from this project will help us better understand our impact and the next steps. Your involvement and feedback will be invaluable in helping us to pursue our goals of widespread sustainability through the circular economy.

We’ll be collating the content and data you send us in order to determine the success of our project and to plan out the next steps in our pursuit of sustainability through the circular economy. With your permission, we may also use your photos on social media and for promotional purposes, so that more people can be inspired to make with reused materials.

The Hackney Creative Reuse Project approaches the issue of surplus and pre-consumer waste material from a community-focused angle, whereby involvement with local creatives and engaging the local community is key to our operations. All materials given away will have a corresponding creative project that participants will be able to make, nurturing creativity while reducing waste and promoting sustainability.