Hello hello, and welcome to the kickoff of The Upcyclist, a weekly newsletter written to celebrate the people who turn stuff… into different stuff. Thank you for being here.
I’m your host, Sasha Weilbaker. If you don’t know me, here’s my intro: I’m a writer, I love bikes, I love cats, & I love coffee. Here’s my face:
For a while, I’ve been fascinated by materials of all varieties— what can we do with them? How can we connect people with excess material to those who need it?
Each week I’ll be interviewing crafty folks from hobbyists to business owners about their upcycling journey, the goal being to inspire us all to (maybe!) think a little differently about the materials we use in our everyday lives, and what we can do with them.
To get us started, I chatted with Kelsey Reese, the owner of a small business called ReeseCycled. In May of 2020, Kelsey started ReeseCycled as what she describes as “a happy accident” while cleaning out her closet during pandemic-induced boredom.
ReeseCycled upcycles vintage clothing into one-of-a-kind, modern pieces, such as this one:
You can see more of Kelsey’s transformations on her TikTok.
In the meantime, listen to our interview above.
Recommendations
The IPCC’s* 2022 report was approved on April 4. For those of you who don’t have the time or desire to read the full report, here are 6 Big Findings from the IPCC 2022 Report
*IPCC stands for The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
‘OK Doomer’ and the Climate Advocates Who Say It’s Not Too Late
This episode of “How To Save A Planet” breaks down the intersection of gender and sustainability.
Resources
Pattie Gonia’s Environmental Job Board: a public spreadsheet for LGBTQIA+ job seekers in the outdoor industry.
That’s all for this week! See you next Tuesday.
~Sasha
Welcome to The Upcyclist! ♻️