It has been a busy summer with rePurpose!
rePurpose has hosted, participated, and facilitated zero waste management at many different events this year!
Our team is so grateful that we get to work closely with other community organizations and promote zero waste events on Whidbey Island.
Keep reading to learn more about the events rePurpose was a part of this summer and see what we have coming up next!
June:
rePurpose helped make South Whidbey Pride Zero Waste!
On June 20th, 2026, South Whidbey celebrated our LGBTQIA+ community members at the South Whidbey Pride Parade and Festival.
rePurpose attended to partake in the revelry and to help make this event zero waste. It was rePurpose’s third year in a row supporting a zero waste South Whidbey Pride event.
Any materials generated by the food trucks were recycled and/or composted. There was a sorting station present, where volunteers made sure all items would be sorted into their respective containers for processing.
Our dedicated team members Jacquie and Solveig, with help from our amazing volunteers, made this zero waste event possible!
We were so thrilled to celebrate our local LGBTQIA+ community with such an exciting and waste free event!
rePurpose hosted Robin Greenfield
Robin Greenfield gives his presentation to a group of community members at The People’s House in Langley.
Activist Robin Greenfield visited The People’s House on June 25th to give his presentation titled “Foraging 100% of my Food for a Year with Robin Greenfield.”
He spoke about the importance of living in reciprocity with the Earth by foraging for food and medicine to a crowd of more than 50 Whidbey community members.
Thank you to everyone who participated in and volunteered at Robin Greenfield’s presentation at The People’s House! If you didn’t purchase his book at the event, you can get one here on Robin’s website.
We hope those who participated learned interesting insights into foraging for sustenance and will incorporate some practices into their lives.
rePurpose hosted “The Exchange” from Orcas Island
rePurpose volunteer Dar Christopherson explains the EPS densifier to vistors from The Exchange Orcas Island.
On June 30th, Pete Moe, Executive Director of The Orcas Island Exchange, and volunteer Eric Vallieres visited Whidbey Island to meet the rePurpose team.
They were specifically interested in learning about our Styrofoam Densifier located at Bodega Storage in Coupeville, as they are considering buying one for their community on Orcas Island. A styrofoam densifier is a machine that shreds, crushes, and heats Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam into a dense block that can be repurposed into commercially viable commodities. EPS is the more official name for what we commonly refer to as styrofoam.
The Exchange team members were met by Derek, Jacquie, and Solveig, who hosted them on a trip up to Coupeville, where they met Dar Christopherson, a rePurpose volunteer. Dar demonstrated the use of the densifier and invited the Exchange team members to use the machine themselves.
The group then went back to Langley for a tour of The People’s House property, the rePurpose Reuse and Recycling Center and the South Whidbey Commons zero waste cafe model.
Read The Exchange’s article about their tour of our facility here. They are currently working on raising the funds needed to purchase their own styrofoam densifier, so consider supporting their efforts if you are able!
Learn more about The Exchange and their commitment to zero waste here.
July:
Whidbey Island Fair in Review!
rePurpose, partnered with the Compost Collective, shared information from our tent at the Whidbey Island Fair.
rePurpose was at the Whidbey Island Fair!
From July 23rd-26th, rePurpose had a tent at the Whidbey Island Fair to connect with community members and spread our message.
It was a great opportunity for people to get to know us and understand our mission more deeply.
People shared that they are feeling discouraged about the reliability of recycling, which is a major part of the integrity of our organization. We make it a priority to partner with reputable organizations that are transparent about the work they do and the effectiveness of their recycling programs.
At the fair, we hosted engaging outreach activities for children and interested individuals. These included writing about their favorite part of the fair on repurposed greeting cards, and an art activity that involved coloring and drawing on a repurposed paper map of Seattle.
These interactive art activities were made possible by rePurpose’s Reuse Center and our dedicated Reuse Center Coordinator, Solveig Lee.
August:
RecuperARTI visited us from Italy!
Pictured left to right: Derek (repurpose co-founder), Solveig (rePurpose Reuse Center Coordinator), Mariana (founder of recuperARTI), Marina’s daughter, Jacquie’s daughter, Jacquie (rePurpose Commercial Membership Coordinator and On-Site Coordinator).
This August, the founder of RecuperARTI, a zero waste arts organization based in Pietrasanta, Italy, visited us on Whidbey, accompanied by her daughter.
Earrings made of recycled and repurposed plastic material at the Remakery facility in Tacoma, WA.
rePurpose team members Jacquie and Solveig accompanied them on a tour of the Remakery and Seattle Recreative, both Seattle-based zero waste arts organizations that utilize “creative reuse” in their business models. The term "creative reuse” refers to using creativity to upcycle or repurpose an item for a use other than its originally intended purpose. An example is repurposing plastics into earrings, as pictured above at the Remakery*.
After the tours with our Seattle partners, RecuperARTI toured The People’s House and our material collection facility. They then saw the Commons Cafe, and Derek took them to the Community Center for a tour of the Art Shelf and our future plans for the Tool and Thing Library.
*The Remakery uses the materials they collect, including the caps & lids and #2 plastics we send them, to make wood-like plastic planks used to construct benches that are donated to public schools in Tacoma.
The Remakery is looking to partner with carpenters to use their materials in carpentry projects! Email jacquie@repurposewhidbey.org if you are interested in using these materials in your wood shop.
rePurpose Supported Zero Waste Initiatives at Little Big Fest!
From August 14th-16th, rePurpose supported Little Big Fest’s zero waste aspirations by collecting, washing, and recycling all plastic cups used at the venue.
It was our first year involved in this initiative, and we hope to continue our zero waste program with Little Big Fest in the future.
We aim to make Little Big Fest a 100% zero waste event in the years to come!
Ongoing Events!
Angelica, from Island Shakespeare Festival, and Joan, rePurpose co-founder, pose with rePurpose sign on the site of the Island Shakespeare Festival.
rePurpose is supporting Zero Waste Action at the Island Shakespeare Festival!
5476 Maxwelton Rd, Langley, WA, 98260
Through September 6th, 2026
This is rePurpose’s third year being involved with the zero waste program at the Island Shakespeare Festival.
The Island Shakespeare Festival was awarded a grant from Whidbey Climate Action, which allowed them to hire a full time team member to manage the materials collected for recycling.
With the help of our handy team members Derek and Jon, we installed a portable sink to wash the collected materials for better storage and recycling viability.
rePurpose provided the reusable dishware and cups used to serve food and drink.
This event was made possible by our hardworking team members Jacquie and Solveig.
We are excited to once again be a part of the Island Shakespeare Festival’s zero waste initiatives, and look forward to our continued partnership.
Be sure to catch one of the final performances of Macbeth and Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest! The last show is September 6th!
South Whidbey Tilth Summer Newsletter - Spotlight on rePurpose!
rePurpose’s table and sorting bins at South Whidbey Tilth Farmers’ Market. Image courtesy of South Whidbey Tilth.
Address: 2812 Thompson Rd, Langley, WA 98260, United States
Through October 18th, 2026 (rePurpose’s Imagination Station will end on September 6th)
South Whidbey Tilth recently posted their Summer newsletter.
Read through to learn about the importance of birds in a home garden, how low snowpack causes summer droughts, and information about the Children’s Garden, among many other interesting articles.
Be sure to scroll to page six to read about rePurpose’s work at the Tilth Farmers’ Market this season and the importance of composting food scraps.
Get creative at our Imagination Station at the Tilth Farmer’s Market hosted by our Reuse Center Coordinator, Solveig Lee, every Sunday between 11am and 3pm until September 6th!
September
Upcoming event: Wings Over Whidbey Bird Festival
Address: YMCA Camp Casey, Coupeville, Washington
September 26th from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Be sure to check out the Whidbey Audubon Society's Wings Over Whidbey Bird Festival featuring local vendors, food trucks, nonprofit booths, guest speakers in Camp Casey’s auditorium, and the Whidbey Audubon Society's own Bird Specimen Collection!
rePurpose will be supporting the zero waste efforts at this event. Jacquie is training volunteers to host a zero waste event, and rePurpose will provide bins, signage, and additional volunteers if necessary.
We hope to see you there!