Sustainability

Upcycling, recycling, rebirthing, reinventing – call it what you like, sustainable shopping is becoming more and more sophisticated.

Shopping malls of the future could host anything from boutique creations, ethical and reclaimed clothing to furniture, sports goods, food, even gifts sourced from pre-loved musical instruments.

An uber-cool peep into what’s coming, with some of the remarkable offerings already available, will be staged next month at Villawood Properties’ Armstrong Mount Duneed’s hangar on the Surf Coast Highway.

Spearheaded by electrical engineer Ryan Mischkulnig, the three-day showcase will coincide with Geelong Design Week.

On the agenda are everything from sewing machines, bikes and pianolas to vintage radios all being repurposed for clever contemporary purposes from bluetooth boom-boxes to lampshades.

Repair experts will be on hand. Expect lots of glueing and cutting, repair gear, maybe a little electronic showing off.

Of course, no sustainability show is complete without whole foods, seasonal fruit and veg, bulk foods and ethically-sourced produce.

It’s all part of Villawood Properties’ drive towards greater sustainability in its communities across energy, water, health, social and lifestyle practices.

“Real sustainability starts with sustainable communities, it’s not only about water and energy,” says Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe.

“They’re very important and we take them seriously, but there are additional factors important to sustainability.

“We give a block of land to the state forest system for every lot we sell. We invest heavily in wetlands which are fantastic CO2 soaks.

“But we also make sure important human assets such as care workers – teachers, police, firefighters, nurses and so on – can access the housing market.

“We offer them significant discounts to buy in. We offer rewards for referring friends and family to strengthen our communities.

“We provide residents’ clubs so people can meet up, major playgrounds for kids and parents, community grants to clubs and groups.”

So sustainability is a real grassroots effort. The showcase at the Armstrong hangar will show just how some of those efforts might be translated into enterprises of the future.

It will run over the weekend of 20-22 March. Check www.geelongcityofdesign.com.au/geelong-design-week/ for more details as they come to hand.

What’s in store for the pop-up below!