Residents at Stockland’s Unity Retirement Village in Aberfoyle Park in Adelaide southern hills have hand-made four eye-catching outfits entirely out of recycled materials.

The dressmaking is part of the village’s yearly participation in the ‘Every Generation’ program which celebrates positive ageing and the valuable contribution people of all ages make in the community.

When Lyn Welch, Lifestyle and Wellbeing Coordinator at Unity Retirement Village, met with residents to discuss a theme for this year’s project she heard about their concerns regarding the impact of our deteriorating environment on their children and grandchildren.

Lyn then set about educating residents about waste and recycling by sourcing a range of items found in landfill and worked with the group to use the materials to create dresses. Details on the four completed dresses:

· Dress 1 – made from recycled newspaper.

 · Dress 2 – made from plastic bags and an op shop-bought blouse.

· Dress 3 – made from recycled newspaper and the film from inside discarded VHS tapes.

 · Dress 4 – made from bottle caps and plastic drink waste, such as cups and straws.

According to Ms Welch the residents, who represent a generation accustomed to purchasing and making clothes and keeping them for the long-term embraced the project  and designed some very unique dresses. 

“Paulo Sebastian now has some stiff competition for Adelaide’s top fashion house” she said.