Frieda Bischoff from Renée Materials – meet the creative

Ali writes:

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Renée Materials’ Frieda Bischoff via the Library of Things newsletter earlier this year, when my darning repairs, and my smiling face (and extravagently repaired under-arms of a client’s TOAST sweater) caught Frieda’s eye.

We chatted a couple of times, and I am so inspired by Frieda’s quest to save quality materials from landfill.

I’m excited to say that we are now working together on a series of repair workshops in London, starting with this one in Shoreditch on the 8th May, for #MendItMay.

So in the spirit of ‘meet the creative’ – I asked Frieda to share with my readers, how Renée came about and how you can get involved too.

What is Renée and how does it work?
Renée is the ‘Too-Good-To-Go’ for materials. We are an hybrid marketplace (online and in-person Hubs) that matches companies’ leftover materials and surplus stock, with creatives and makers who need supplies.
We offer anything from paper, wood, textile, leather, yarn, paint, metal, glass and so on.

Background in Design: 
With a background in design (BA Fashion Design, MA Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures) and a keen eye for aesthetics, I recognised the potential in repurposing discarded materials into beautiful and functional creations and saving quality materials from landfill.

Changing the system:
Rather than pointing at companies, blaming them for producing waste, we offer a solution! Whereas before, companies could only choose normal waste disposal companies (where their materials would in best case be recycled, but more likely burned in incinerators or sent to landfills), they can now choose Renée. Our service will make sure that their leftovers are reused.

Impact of Reuse:
The amazing thing with reuse is that it saves CO2e twice. Once when we reduce waste, and once again when we replace the need for new material production.
So far, we have converted 10.3t of materials. This is as much as the weight of SEVEN very large hippos or 250 kangaroos.

Inspiration from Waste: Let’s make do with what is there. Rather than starting a design process with a detailed plan where you order the materials exactly to your plans, we advocate to get inspired by what’s available. Don’t buy new – design new.
And had shown the most beautiful results, which are some of these ‘Reuse-stories’ you can find on our website.*

Empowering Creativity, making it sustainable and affordable: Renée empowers creatives and makers to unleash their creativity by providing them with affordable and sustainable materials for their projects. We are 50% cheaper than any other supplier, as well as most of the time the most sustainable option too. A win-win-win 😉

Mission to Make a Difference: Driven by a mission to make a positive impact on the environment, Vassi and I set out to create a platform that would facilitate the reuse of materials and inspire sustainable practices.

Foundation of Renée: Renée Materials was founded on the principle of circularity, aiming to close the loop in material consumption by promoting reuse over disposal.

Building a Community: Renée is more than just a platform for material exchange; it’s a community of like-minded individuals committed to sustainability, creativity, and positive change.

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For more on workshops click here

Follow @incredibusy and @renee_materials on instagram

Check out some inspiring re-use stories on the Renée website here.