Speaking up for the environment comes naturally to Res.Awesome’s Fiona Clements and some may even say it runs in the family. With Fiona’s Dad acting as the Chair of Dunedin’s Habitat for Humanity, an environmental advocate and role model was never far away. For many years, Fi’s father worked on the frontlines of community building projects, striving to create new and innovative ways to repurpose materials. The father and daughter duo share the same goal of reducing waste and protecting our environment. In Fi’s family home, countless hours have been spent discussing the details of waste minimisation and resource recovery. The support shared in this space inspired Fi. Today, she uses her voice to empower the people of Dunedin to take the matter of climate change into their own hands.

Res.Awesome’s hard-working Kaiwhakahaere, Fi has been working in the sustainability sphere for many years, paving the way for the growing community of eco-minded folk who call Ōtepoti home. Early experiences of working in challenging work environments sparked her passion for social justice and equality. Her commitment to taking action and speaking up is what makes Fi such an amazing advocate for change.

Fi has been operating as a zero waste textile practitioner for eight years under the label Senorita AweSUMO. Winning a Wearable Art Competition with her stunning Butterfly Free creation in 2008 gave her the confidence boost she needed to enrol at the Otago Polytechnic. This is where she completed her Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Practice. With her keen eye for sustainability, it quickly became apparent to Fi that education providers needed an increased focus on reusing and reducing materials.

Conducting independent research around best sustainability practices inspired Fi to found Stitch Kitchen in 2015, alongside Fiona Jenkin. Textile waste is a huge contributor to our global carbon emissions, with every kilogram of clothing ending up in landfill creating 3.6 kilos of greenhouse gases. In an attempt to divert the seemingly endless stream of fabric being tossed aside, Stitch Kitchen was born. Today it is a community hub, sewing room and haberdashery shop for textile resource recovery and community education. Stitch Kitchen provides accessible tools for all. It runs workshops and teaches our community how to lean into a Zero Waste future, especially when it comes to making sustainable fashion choices.

With an innovative community organisation already under her belt, Fi found herself at the helm of Res.Awesome - an enterprise focused on shifting Dunedin’s waste flow toward a circular economy structure. While the seed was planted long ago, Res.Awesome was solidified after a Waste Jam event in 2019.

One of Res.Awesome’s many missions is to provide our community with the tools to feel empowered; whether it be through education or providing alternative ideas for reducing and reusing. We encourage people to look at waste differently, and learn how to identify treasures in our ‘waste’ that often have the potential to be fed back into the community and reused.

Today, the work of Res.Awesome involves building initiatives, facilitating networking events, providing consultancy services, as well as inspiring, educating and supporting people within communities. Above all, we value our Papatūānuku. Our goal to create a circular reuse economy for Dunedin City will ultimately relieve the pressure on our current ‘waste to landfill’ pathway, both spatially and financially.

The threat of climate change and what may accompany it can be overwhelming for most business leaders, but our Kaiwhakahaere has a history of taking practical steps to help our community thrive. One of Fi’s many strengths is her ability to think creatively around the gaps in our pre-existing systems. Her vision of installing resource recovery hubs throughout our community has benefits for all; creating zero waste infrastructure and more job. This idea is a real investment in the future of Ōtepoti. Res.Awesome’s to-do list may be ambitious, but with the traction created by Fi’s trailblazing ways, we are confident in our ability to generate social change for our community. We hope you will join us!