About Us

 

Mission:

Our designers work with students and independent sewists to bring you innovative, unique products made from your discarded materials and damaged or unused keepsakes.  Upcycling helps us collectively move toward a circular economy by keeping materials from entering the waste stream and giving them a new life or second chance to be functional, loved parts of our lives. Tell your story by supporting the reuse and resurrection of what we have already made, by caring about what we use, where it comes from and what impact it has on our Earth and future.  

 

Vision Statement:

We at Discard Upcycling feel that affordable, upcycled products should be made accessible to all.  Every individual has a great impact on the Earth through the small, everyday decisions they make.  Large scale environmental change is possible through the education and empowerment of people and businesses to make sincere, smart habit changes and conscientious choices.  Discard incorporates the innovative ideas of our designers, partners, interns and customers into our products and business' systems to create not only clever and unique upcycled products, but also a collaborative enterprise with the goal of a cleaner, greener future for all.

Mitra Gruwell is a community focused upcycle fashion/product designer and sewist, with 20 years experience in business management, entrepreneurship and event production.  As the owner of Discard Upcycling, her mission is to make upcycling more accessible and affordable for both businesses and individual clients. Mitra is the program manager and developer for Vkining Textile Maker Hub and she also teaches workshops in upcycled design and Design thinking, and apprentices and mentors youth in these skills.  She has bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder and  has served on the board of the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene for 8 years.  Mitra is passionate about the arts and the role it plays in connecting people and keeping them happy, healthy and prosperous.