Getting Crafty With Unwanted Resources

In less than six months Fiona Edwards has turned a bright idea into a booming business that makes great use of ‘waste,’ while also helping the local community. 

In October 2005 Fiona and her husband opened Rescued Remnants (the trading name for their enterprise Kinley Innovations Ltd) in Rangiora. Rescued Remnants uses reused and recycled materials as resources for craft and activity packs for children. The materials are sold in packs of various sizes and content. Some packs may consist of one particular resource (e.g. leather pieces), some contain materials needed to make a certain item (e.g. puppets or masks), and others contain a wide variety of resources to let your imagination run free. Some of the larger packs are used in local after school or holiday programmes, and kindergartens are also starting to use them.

Packs can be purchased directly, and they can also be sold by schools or childcare centres as a fundraiser, with them keeping a percentage of the sales. Over 50% of the resources Fiona uses come through Waste Exchange. At present she makes use of used plastic and cardboard cones; plastic release sheets; scrap whiteboard; Dacron, polar fleece and other fabric; coloured cardboard skeletal; pottles; coda files; CD cases; and plastic tubular webbing.  Fiona has also accessed MDF board for lining a storeroom, as well as large cardboard storage drums and plastic 20 litre pails for storage. 

“The concept was to take scrap materials and do something positive with them, and also give something back to the community - to help the schools and kindergartens” says Fiona. “They love the idea, especially as they are all keen to promote reuse to the children.”