It is standard practice in the print media industry to recycle all undistributed / unsold copies, usually through companies, specializing in paper recycling. This practice is a step in the right direction. However, it does not take full advantage of the existing social and economic opportunities and surely it is not the best solution as we look to minimize our environmental footprint. Alternative waste management is internationally prioritized as such: prevention, reuse, upcycling, recycling, regaining (of materials and energy) and, finally, landfills.

The upcycling project of shedia street paper is a programme that adheres to this order of priorities as closely as possible. It is a project where the ideals and values of love, solidarity, education, participation, social inclusion, creativity, social enterprise, innovation as well as social and environmental awareness and environmental solutions are all converging.

Since March 2013, when the first issue of the «shedia» hit the streets of Athens, the undistributed / unsold copies of the country’s leading street paper have not been recycled, but, instead, they have been stored to be upcycled. That is, in order to be reused, redesigned and transformed into new, usable products of high quality and aesthetic value.

In spring 2016, we invited our vendors to participate in free upcycling workshops that we organized in our premises. The first group of beneficiaries were all over 50 years. The beneficiaries were trained and are still being trained so they can create and produce on their own tens of high quality paper products, from pencils to paper bags, to earrings, ceiling lights, drink coasters etc. Their creations are available for sale through the «shediart» dedicated shop in downtown Athens (56 Kolokotroni & Nikiou Street, Athens) as well as though selected shops, museums, galleries etc in Greece and abroad (see more here).

Through the «shediart» program, people that are have been harshly hit by the economic crisis, not only get access to education and employment, but are also undertaking an important social role, becoming, in effect, community leaders, as they are invited to give out seminars to schools and other fora, in order to pass on the knowledge of upcycling. They are contributing to the important cause of educating the public and building individual and collective social and environmental consciousness.

It could be that «shediart» is possibly unique in the world. There are surely many initiatives, both for profit or for non-profit, that upcycle newspaper and magazine papers, transforming them into beautiful objects.  However, as far as we know, it could be that «shedia» is the only print media outlet in the world that takes advantage of its own unsold copies in such a way. In fact, it is part of our planning to spread the word, to spread the upcycling model.