From old company clothing to new blankets, laptop sleeves and flags
If you can reuse something, we think you should. And so does Ankie Mulder, our colleague in pre-assembly. During working hours, she makes sure that everything is prepared down to the last detail for our mechanics. And in her spare time she turns our old company clothing into something completely new. Her first blanket is now finished and it tastes like more!
Ankie has been working at Life & Mobility for four years now. “Before that, I worked as an activity counsellor in the day care center for the elderly, she says. “It was fun work in which I could put all my creativity. Still, it was time for something new. I wanted something different, especially since I was doing the work alone, without colleagues around me. I talked to a career counselor, who immediately told me that Life & Mobility would suit me very well. During a day’s visit I immediately felt the connection. I really feel right at home here.
We can make something beautiful out of that
At her new workplace, she can also express her creativity. Ankie has found a beautiful, new, sustainable destination for our old company clothing. “Our old company clothing is now being taken to a recycling point, but that wasn’t the case when I started working here. I immediately thought: we can make something beautiful out of that. I’ve always been busy with crafts since I was young; it’s in my blood. When my husband passed away, I made a beautiful rug out of his clothes. That’s how I came up with the idea to do the same with the old clothing from Life & Mobility.”
No shortage of beautiful fabrics
Her first rug is finished, so Ankie is already making plenty of plans for her next project. “We work a lot with laptops here, so maybe I’ll make a nice laptop sleeve. Or some flags, so we can decorate when someone has a birthday. There’s no shortage of beautiful fabrics. I’ve collected a nice stock of old clothes at home. And all my colleagues know how to find me if they need to get rid of something. I have no idea if anything is even sent to the recycling point anymore, haha.”
Ankie currently makes her creations from home, but she would love to expand her project: “How fun would it be to do this together with colleagues? To make beautiful things from old fabrics together occasionally. Something that can make others happy or can be reused in the organization. I’ve already thrown the idea out there at the staff association, of which I’m also a member, so who knows who I can get excited about this.”
“Although she initially creates her creations as a hobby, sustainability also plays a role. ‘It’s such a shame to throw away those beautiful fabrics, when you can give them a second life. So, I try to do that as much as possible. Actually, it’s exactly like what we do with our wheelchairs. Many of the wheelchairs we sell are returned to us after use. We use the frame to make new wheelchairs, which can last for years again. We all have to contribute to a sustainable world. And I’m proud of how Life & Mobility does that.’