Meet Dempstah and their story of recycled yarn.

By recycled yarn ... I don't mean an old story. This is a very exciting new story with a couple of young entrepreneurs at its core. Guy Dempster and Otis Ng's company Dempstah, collects old textile and recycles it into yarn. Their aim is to advance our capacity to recycle textiles because they feel it is crucial if we hope to shift society away from its current reliance on landfill.

Guy and Otis collect off cuts from Citizen Wolf and source old woollens and natural fibres from the Salvos, then send it to Hong Kong to a recycling plant. Recovered waste fibres are combined with complementary virgin fibres and spun into various weights of yarn. This happens at a spinning mill in Zhuhai, China – about 80km west of Hong Kong. The resulting weights comprise their range of recycled yarns, suitable for independent makers and commercial manufacturers.

Guy studied textile design, worked in the industry and became very aware just how the waste generated by the fashion industry was unsustainable. He worked for the company that now recycles their recovered textiles in Hong Kong and is more than satisfied by their very green environmental credentials.

This story comes full circle when the yarn is then used to craft hand made items. Guy and Otis are working on their own range. Kath of Happenstore is a supporter and sells the yarn to her makers as does Granny Square in Newtown. The yarn can also be bought through Citizen Wolf.

Dempstah may be small, Guy and Otis combining their talents - Guy on the design creative side and Otis looking after the logistics - getting the waste to Hong Kong and the Yarn back to Australia, but their vision and ambition for their product is exhilarating and heartening.

While they build their company they support themselves working at other jobs. Guy works in Art Therapy for those with Mental Health problems and Otis works for the fabulous Cherry Moon General Store, and makes an exceptional coffee.

This enterprise and these young men are so inspiring. Support them.