In January of 2021, the Department of Ecology announced that due to COVID, there were grant funds that needed to be spent by June 30, 2021. The Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District applied for their Recycled Market Grant in January, and in February was awarded $50,000 to begin the ReMakery: a new maker space for transforming materials from the recycle plaza and TIOLI into new and usable goods. The Grand Opening is Saturday, May 1 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The ReMakery will be offering classes, workshops, Repair Cafes, Maker-in-Residence programs, and a host of other maker events. The ReMakery will have industrial sewing machines, sergers, regular sewing machines, 3D printers, jewelry making, leather working tools, electronics repair and tools, and soon a laser cutter, along with host of other useful tools to upcycle and transform materials.

The goal of the ReMakery is to educate our community about the value of reduction, reuse, repair, and repurposing items locally to increase the local circular economy. It will provide the Lopez community with space, tools and instruction to help transform materials that might have otherwise been exported off the island and to landfill, or far away recycling centers across the globe. Localizing reuse decreases green house gas emissions, creates potential revenue sources for local makers and entrepreneurs, and most importantly, continues to keep a zero waste mindset in the forefront of the Lopez Island community.

The ReMakery is hosting its first event at Vitas on Friday, April 30 from 5-8 p.m. “Messages in a Bottle” is a Poetry and Wine Tasting Event designed to highlight all the glass bottles and corks that could be more creatively reused. There will be a free Take-It-or-Leave-It-style exchange of messages.

For more information on this event and how to participate, please go to www.lopezsolidwaste.org.