Coffee pod necklace worn at Eco Fashion Week Australia (Photo: Robbin Whachell)
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While we may not be able to solve the amount of waste coffee pods have created for our planet, there's one person doing her part to reduce, and that's Natalia Rodrigo, Chief Upcycler/ Designer at
Beads 'n Pods.
Rodrigo's designs were one of the big surprises at Eco Fashion Week Australia's second edition. She creates earrings, necklaces, anklets, belts, brooches and headpieces – none of which look as if they are made from a waste product made from aluminum or plastic that take hundreds of years to break down in the soil.
It all started when her neighbour handed her some cleaned, coffee pods she had used. “They are too pretty to bin” said her neighbour. Being it was close to Christmas Rodrigo and her two daughters set about to make decorations with the pods. "It felt good, exciting even, to be able to create using something that someone else would dispose carelessly," said the designer.
Her jewelry pieces are very light, even the pieces that adorn hips, legs, arms and feet. The versatility of the colours are also evident.
At the beginning she said finding used coffee pods was a challenge, but today they find her quicker than she can deal with them. She said she collects pods from offices around Perth and receives them from friends and customers too.
After her first show for Eco Fashion Week Australia in Port Douglas, the international press started posting articles and images on social media, and Rodrigo was excited to be contacted by someone in Canada.
We're sure her hard work and the ripple effect of an event like this will spark others to look at waste as a resource, and either stop using pods or hand them off for use by schools or crafting clubs. Every little bit helps!
About the author: Robbin Whachell is a publicist, writer, photo-journalist; and the co-founder of TheBahamasWeekly.com. She can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked In, Skype. She can be reached at robbinwhachell@gmail.com
Upcycling designer, Natalia Rodrigos does her finale walk with EFWA models in Port Douglas. (Photo: Port Douglas Photographer)
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