Capping off our summer series of Open Doors events will be a very special day marking this year’s Sustainable September. We’ll be welcoming back Wasteless Market for the first time since 2021 and they’ll be bringing a whole range of eco-focused businesses and organisations with them.

The Mansion is also home year-round to a host of small businesses who have sustainability at their core – they will also be joining in on the fun on Sunday 7th September. We spoke to Lis from Wasteless Market, plus our resident business owners, Jane from Know How You Sewing School and Louise from Upcycled Upholstery about the background to their work, the importance of sustainability and what you can expect at this special Open Doors day at the Mansion.

Why is sustainability so important to you?

Lis: I grew up with the idea that we should leave our surroundings in a better state than we found them, maybe being a Brownie Guide started me off on that journey! Now we are seeing the effects of climate change, loss of biodiversity and plastic pollution across the world and it’s made me even more determined to do my part to combat these threats.

Jane: For me sustainability is all about helping to build a circular economy where resources are valued and kept in use longer. This in turn supports community resilience, cost savings, and a healthier environment for current and future generations.

Louise: On top of all the important environmental factors that the other two have mentioned, I have always been thrifty and a little obsessed by the second-hand marketplace. From trawling second-hand charity shops as a teenager, to making an upcycled corset from my dad’s unworn shirt collars when I was at school, or upcycling tin cans to make candles at my first market in Greenwich back in the early 2000s.

How does sustainability feed into your business?

Jane: Know How You Sewing School was established in 2015 and has been based at the Mansion in Beckenham Place Park since 2017. Sustainability is at the core of who we are. It guides every choice we make, from how we teach and run our classes to the materials we use.

Louise: After a buying career in the fashion industry, I found there was limited choice available for affordable, sustainable and purposeful products within homeware and so I re-trained in Upholstery at Shoreditch Design Rooms in 2017. Sustainability is the founding principle on which Upcycled Upholstery was born.

Lis: Wasteless Market was the brainchild of my friend and co-director Teresa and we incorporated it together in 2020 with the Community Hub at the Exchange in Erith and monthly markets around the borough. Since then I have retired and have been running pop-up refill stalls as well. In September last year we started up our markets again which bring together lots of business owners with a passion for sustainability in one place.

Jane: We believe in waste reduction, repair, remanufacturing, and repurposing as practical, joyful ways to extend the life of clothing and textiles. Our mission is to empower people with the skills and confidence to turn everyday sewing into a sustainable practice.

Louise: We aim to educate and encourage people to join us on our mission to make upcycled, upholstered products for a more sustainable home, and offer a colourful, meaningful alternative to the mass-produced furniture industry.

Jane: I am especially focused on starting young as I truly believe our future is in the hands of those we educate to understand that these values are key to the future of our environment and planet.

What should visitors look forward to on the 7th September?

Lis: Inspiration! For anyone who’s trying to reduce their carbon and plastic footprint, the Wasteless Market is a source of ideas and products to help do that.

Jane: A lively program alongside the Wasteless Market, with activities for all ages. Materials used will be repurposed or from dead stock fabrics, showcasing sustainable sourcing in action.

Louise: We will be taking over the Old Library and championing everything sustainable including zero-waste, upcycled and recycled products.

Lis: We’ll have our refills stall where customers can buy household and personal care products by weight in their own containers; plus Wasteless Essentials: a range of plastic-free household accessories.

Louise: Expect to see our best-selling Neon Typography prints made from recycled paper and re-purposed vintage dictionaries as well as our new ‘Prints with Purpose’ made from off-cut biodegradable linen, splatter painted bookmarks made from leather off-cuts, upcycled fabric notebooks made from recycled coffee cups and a selection of our curated upcycled furniture range all made from natural and sustainable materials.

Jane: Our Soft Toy Hospital will be open, providing repair and refurbishment activities for children’s toys plus we’ll also be putting on a showcase featuring items from our in-house makers, Eco High Fashion and accessories, and a selection of remnant or dead stock fabrics and patterns.

Lis: We’ll also be joined by an intriguing mixture of fellow eco-traders selling upcycled handcrafted items of beauty and functionality for the home.

Louise: We will also have an interactive workstation where visitors can creatively collaborate in making a Wall Art hanging tapestry made from repurposed and remnant fabric pieces – let’s see how big we can get it!

What else are you planning throughout the month for Sustainable September?

Lis: We’re re-starting all our Bexley midweek events in September as well as our two monthly market stalls.

Jane: We will be offering discounts and incentives to encourage clients to repurpose and reuse in classes. Our kids and teens will be working on projects that reuse and repurpose garments kicking off with a transformation challenge and fashion show. We will also be collaborating with Upcycled Upholstery to run a 3-week Remake/Revive Lab on Thursday mornings.

Louise: We are introducing a new Upholstery taster workshop where you can make a sustainable footstool using repurposed fabric on 28th September. We’ll also be participating in the Second-Hand Sunday market at the Horniman Museum on 15th September too.

The Sustainable September event takes place at Beckenham Place Mansion on Sunday 7th September as part of The Mansion’s Open Doors Summer Series – more info can be found here.

Head to the respective websites for more information about the rest of the Sustainable September programme of events offered by Wasteless Market, KHY Sewing School and Upcycled Upholstery.