In a brand new exhibition showing the creativity associated with upcycling, 40 gas pumps are turned into functioning objects that can be utilized anywhere, including speakers, bookshelves, coffeemakers, and many other everyday items.
Upcycling is a, well, not a new trend (it has been around for centuries), but a trend that has been getting a lot of momentum recently. It is the process of taking an item and rather than just recycle it, it is upcycled into something newer and better. Many of us do it without even realizing it – taking an old, beat up dresser and turning it into a buffet for the dining room, turning the plastic bags we get at grocery stores into bags for art supplies, and turning discarded materials into a home. Upcycling believes that everything out there has a potential value or use…but sometimes, that requires a bit of creative thinking and an eye for imagination. In a new exhibition called “A World Without Petrol,” forty gasoline pumps (bowsers) were turned into useful items one may see anywhere in a home.
A dog house, speaker, and telephone booth
A bird feeder, bookshelf, and coffee maker
A barber stand, balloon dispenser, greenhouse, and lampshade
A bean trellis, blackboard, and target
Commissioned by Nissan to celebrate the release of their brand new 100% electric Leaf in Australia, which uses 95% recyclable parts in the vehicle including fabric that is composed of recycled plastic bottl, this exhibition takes average gasoline pumps and turns them into items like a popcorn machine, working safe, beverage machine, birdfeeder, jukebox, and even a gumball dispenser. The gasoline pumps were created by James Dive, a member of the Australian branch of The Glue Society. He said, “A petrol bowser that no longer pumps petrol is an exciting prospect. By taking such a functional object, and reinterpreting that function, it paints a compelling and light hearted insight into what a world might be like without petrol.”
Visit the Zero Petrol website to learn more about these gasoline pumps and vote on your favorite!
For more great stories of recycling, check out these lamps made from washing machines or small homes made from recycled items.
