As an “influencer” and member of the media, I often receive swag (i.e. free gifts) from events, product launches, travel campaigns, etc. I can’t tell you how many branded bags, water bottles, mugs, notebooks, hats, and pens I’ve collected this way.
Much of this swag is useful. I’ve received some ridiculously nice gifts over the years, some of which I keep for myself and some of which I gift to others. But lots of things, I must confess, go straight to the back of a desk drawer or closet and never see the light of day again.
Swag that actually makes it into the hands of a person like me is, in essence, a success. The company who made/branded the item did so to get its message across, and by giving the item to me they communicated their message (at least theoretically).
But the truth is, branded items like these often never reach an end user. Tons, literally tons, of this stuff gets made and then goes straight to landfills without ever being given to anyone. This is where Upcycle comes in.
Upcycle, launched and run by Winnie McHenry and her partner Mark Fruhauf, is an initiative aimed at reducing waste and promoting a greener society. Among other things, Upcycle runs a shop on Long Road in Greymont (where the well-known strip of antique shops is), selling corporate swag and other bulk items that would otherwise be dumped in landfills.
How Upcycle Reduces Corporate Waste
This process is slightly hard to explain and I don’t want to get mired in the details. But, in short:
1) Companies produce tons of branded products to be given as gifts.
2) Sometimes there’s a mistake, like the logo is printed wrong or there is a tiny flaw in the product. Sometimes a company changes its logo and then everything with the old logo becomes obsolete. Sometimes a company goes out of business, or just orders too many products, or can no longer use the products for countless other reasons.
3) Usually these rejected products go to the dump or get incinerated. Once the company logo is on the item, it can’t be sold or even donated due to corporate branding rules.
4) By partnering with these corporations, Upcycle collects these rejected products — boxes and boxes and boxes of them — removes the logos, and then sells them. Cheap.
In addition to simply removing the corporate branding and then selling the products, Upcycle works with local artists to transform bland, undesirable things into pretty new stuff.
The inside of this shop might not look pretty at first glance. But I was there for 30 minutes and left with a camping chair, an umbrella, a notebook and pen, and a package of highlighters for less than R200 ($13.50). There is a lot of very nice, useful stuff, and the proceeds are going to further promote sustainability in our community.
According to a recent post on their Facebook group, Upcycle has so far diverted more than 23,400 kilograms (that’s more than 50,000 pounds, Americans) of potential landfill waste. And they’ve only been doing this for a year or two.
I could go on but you have to visit this shop to properly appreciate it. So go.
The Upcycle shop is on 158 Long Road, Greymont. Upcycle has a Facebook group, a Facebook page, and a website. The Facebook group seems to be the most active, with regular updates on new product arrivals.
Great idea!
Right?!
The t-shirts I got for Terry there are better quality than some I’ve bought from the Malls at three times the price. Love the pens and notebooks I got.
I’ve also been getting good mileage from my notebook.
You, dear lady are much more than an influencer. Don’t use that awful meaningless word. It refers to blonde bimbos and effete young men with small social media followings. You are a Johannesburg Star! Know that…..
Hahaha, thanks. I also hate that word – I just thought it communicated the point effectively in this context ????
Well done you!
I love to browse in shops that I call my secondhand boutiques where I have made many purchases over many years. Thanks for giving me info about another one to visit.
This is a great one. Similar to a second-hand/charity shop but with a slightly different twist.
I’ll be visiting Upcylce soon. With items I have at home and to buy a couple of items I need. Thanks for this super useful post Heather.
You’re very welcome 🙂
That is an excellent idea! The entertainment industry has a ridiculous amount of swag like that.
Well, there you go. Apparently there are lots of places like this in Europe but not sure about the US.
I’ve never seen one in the US, but then again, I don’t do much American travel. It definitely should be done because you KNOW how much they do corporate branding stuff over there (I mean, the pharmaceutical companies alone must spend MILLIONS on that) – and I dread to think how much of that goes to waste.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE thrift shops. Interestingly, it was the Japanese who were running these types of things in Cambodia. Where were at has a huge bi-weekly second-hand market right outside our front doors. When we first got here, I went a little crazy over the dresses. It’s such a good idea in a world that has plenty of stuff already.
Agreed. There are tons of charity/second-hand shops in Joburg. Normally I feel overwhelmed and struggle to find things I want but somehow this shop is a bit easier to navigate.
Bought a running shirt for the Park Run for R40. Excellent quality. Eill go back for another one. They have anothwr truckload of stuff due in a couple of weeks. Yay!
Yay!
This is SO cool, and such a good idea! Bonus- it’s about 3 minutes away from my house in Waterval Estate, so I will be going there VERY soon.
Awesome, enjoy!
Hi there – I am the Founder of the Epic Foundation. We manage projects for survivors of rape and abuse. One of these is the Comfort Pack Project where we pack bags with essential toiletry items to be used during the initial reporting phases. We are urgently looking for drawstring bags to use for this purpose. Could you possibly assist us?
Hi Alta, you’re commenting on a 2Summers blog post. Please send a message to Upcycle via their Facebook page.