xyz is a tech-driven, creative agency that works with some notable high-end fashion brands to help them connect with consumers and create unique experiences. As well as creating new immersive playgrounds and helping their clients stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving experience landscape, the team are trying their best to be both environmentally and socially responsible with their productions. Often finding their own ways to reduce, reuse and repurpose, there comes the odd occasion when they need a little extra help. Enter Event Cycle.
After a highly anticipated fashion launch in Olympia London xyz was left with 40 metal galvanised wheelie bins wanting a new home. Not your typical household item when you’re unsure if the bin men can take them, Event Cycle got to work with its network to put the bins to much better use. From compost to crafts, canoe paddles to pet food, here are the creative ways in which bins can be reused.
A community garden and space, The Small Quarter invites people to get involved outside to help their mental health and cultivate vegetables for the food banks they support. They took 4 of the big bins to create compost in and keep their garden healthy.
Set up in partnership by Time & Talents and London Bubble Theatre Company, Rotherhithe Shed brings together older men to put their practical skills to good use – fixing, making, whittling, drilling, sawing and tinkering. The community programme also operates a metal forge where there are often offcuts to be kept and repurposed at another time. The metal bins are just the thing to keep the bits out of the way whilst they await their forging future.
An unlikely taker of a lot of the bins, was the Phoenix Canoe Club, a water and land based outdoor sports and training centre. The centre supports schools, colleges, youth and community groups in the area of Barnet & Brent and has some great ideas for the galvanised bins, turns out they’re the perfect height and weight to hold their canoe paddles and sailing rudders.
“Many thanks for the galvanised wheelie bins. Our first two have gone straight into use as paddle storage to replace the blue barrels which were difficult to manoeuvre around the site. We took the lids of them as they are stored in a container and will drill some drainage holes in the bottom. They are now easily wheeled to the location to suit the activity. We will be using the others for temporary litter bins when we have groups having lunch outside, a recycling bin for cans and glass waste (which our current waste removal company do not recycle), storage for sailing rudders and keel boards and some team building kit. When we saw how much these cost, it is horrifying that so much money and material goes to waste - so well done for setting up this service to recycle items like these to cash strapped charities."
Phil Atkinson – Club Lead & Centre Development
Sending the bins further afield, Animal Support Angels have put them on a van to Ukraine. With continued danger to both humans and animals, the organisation is looking after feral felines and other animals that have had to be rescued or need to be rehomed during the conflict. Believe it or not, the bins are great storage solutions for the pet food they need to hold to keep the cats in good health.
And last but not least, putting the bins to good use as part of their arts and crafts projects the Malorees Infant & Junior Primary School will store all of their paper, plastic, and material bits and pieces ready for the next project.
Join the movement of event agencies embracing sustainability and social responsibility by partnering with Event Cycle, where your leftover items find new purpose and contribute to a greener more sustainable events industry.