The ReCreators

What The ReCreators does

The ReCreators is a New Zealand social enterprise founded in 2018 by Geraldine Tew and headquartered in Waitakere, Auckland, operating across the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Waikato regions. The company operates a dual model combining a workshop-based education service with an e-commerce marketplace for handcrafted upcycled products. Workshop offerings span Kids/Teen term programmes, kids/family drop-in sessions, adult one-day workshops (woodworking, sewing, mindfulness, jewellery design, DIY beauty, upcycle painting), multi-week adult circular programmes, Waikato community workshops delivered via partnership with Go Eco, and customised events/birthday parties. The Green Space (Reclaim Centre) at 135 Chamberlain Rd, Massey anchors a Monday-Friday volunteer programme. Products — including laser-cut reclaimed wood jewellery, toys, home décor, hardware (compost bins, garden beds, birdhouses), bags, DIY craft kits, and White Cloud Skincare — are sold through a Shopify storefront, 16+ physical retail stockists including three regional museums, and eight online marketplaces. Core technology is laser cutting applied to reclaimed plywood offcuts alongside traditional craft techniques.

The business model rests on four revenue streams: workshop fees (GST-inclusive, pay-as-you-go), unit-priced product sales (NZD $25-$220, set by individual ReCreators at Living Wage minimum), DIY kit sales, and tax-deductible donations to a Trust account supporting vulnerable groups and materials. Customer segments include families with children, adult learners, schools and community groups, event organisers, and custom order clients. Marketing is multi-channel across Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, blog content, email newsletter, annual impact reports, and event promotion through Humanitix. Strategic alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 13 Climate Action) and Te Ao Māori values underpins the brand identity. No external institutional investment, parent company, or PE/VC ownership is recorded; the entity is structured as The ReCreators Ltd, a private New Zealand limited company.

Name

The ReCreators

Legal name

The ReCreators Ltd

Website

https://therecreators.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ReCreators is a New Zealand social enterprise running upcycling workshops for adults, children, and families across Auckland and Waikato, and selling handcrafted reclaimed-material products through a Shopify store, 16+ physical stockists, and online marketplaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Upcycling Workshops & Sustainable Handcrafted Goods

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (8114), Other Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (811490), Reupholstery and Furniture Repair (811420)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960), Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), DIY & Home Skills Workshops (Woodworking, Carpentry, Home Repair, Gardening) (THAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Upcycling workshops
• Sustainable craft education
• Handmade upcycled products
• Circular economy social enterprise
• DIY skill training

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Workshop Fees: Fees charged for upcycling workshops including adult community workshops, kids/family workshops, and term-long programs for children and teens. After-school programs run 3-5pm or 3:30-5:30pm with fees including GST and all materials.
2. Product Sales: E-commerce sales of upcycled products including jewellery (earrings, accessories), toys, home decor, bags, hardware items, skincare products, and DIY craft kits. Individual Re-Creators set prices based on time, materials cost, and equipment/design costs using Living Wage as minimum.
3. DIY Kits: Pre-packaged craft kits for DIY upcycling projects including Pasifica Lei kits, butterfly mobile kits, woodworking kits, and sewing kits. Kits contain all materials needed for specific projects.
4. Volunteer Program Support: Accepting tax-deductible donations to support workshops, product donations to vulnerable groups, and fund materials and tools for making products. Donations go to Trust account 06-0622-0979540-00.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The ReCreators is a New Zealand social enterprise that delivers hands-on upcycling workshops (woodworking, sewing, mindfulness, crafting) for adults, children, families, schools, and event groups, alongside an e-commerce storefront selling handcrafted products made from reclaimed materials including jewellery, toys, home decor, bags, hardware, and DIY kits. It also operates the Green Space (Reclaim Centre) volunteer hub in Massey, Auckland, and distributes products through physical stockists and online marketplaces across New Zealand.

Product overview

The ReCreators operates as a social enterprise offering a dual product model: (1) DIY Upcycling Wānanga & Products — a workshop-based education service providing hands-on upcycling instruction across multiple programme types including Kids/Teen Programmes (Term), Kids/Family Workshops (One Day), Adult Workshops (One Day), Adult Circular Programmes (Multi Week), Waikato Workshops, Events/Birthday Parties, and Green Space (Reclaim Centre); and (2) an e-commerce marketplace selling handcrafted upcycled products including Toys & Crafts, Jewellery & Accessories, Hardware, Home & Decor, Bags, White Cloud Skincare, DIY Kits, and Custom Orders. The portfolio also includes a Volunteer Programme enabling community participation. Products are made in New Zealand from reclaimed materials, with workshops delivered at physical venues and the online store powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Workshops (One Day)

Quantifiable outcome

• Preventing extraction of virgin materials and diversion from landfill through upcycling activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Auckland War Memorial MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum retail stockist for upcycled products. Located at The Auckland Domain, Parnell, Auckland 1010. Part of museum gift shop offerings promoting sustainable local products.
• Otago MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional museum retail stockist in Dunedin. Located at 419 Great King Street, North Dunedin. Extends product distribution to South Island New Zealand.
• Museums WellingtonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional museum retail stockist in Wellington. Located at 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington 6011. Provides Wellington region access for upcycled products.
• The Garden Party (Ponsonby)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoutique retail stockist at 130 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1011. Upscale retail placement for sustainable upcycled items.
• Refill NationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEco-focused retail stockist at 571 Te Atatu Road, Te Atatu, Auckland 0610. Natural fit for sustainable, zero-waste upcycled products.
• Go Eco (Waikato)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity centre partner for delivering Sewing 101 machine sewing workshops in Waikato region. Collaborating with community centres across Waikato to deliver enriching upcycling experiences ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
• White Cloud SkincareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWhite Cloud Skincare products sold through The ReCreators Shopify store. Products are handcrafted in Aotearoa New Zealand with predominantly locally-sourced ingredients. Refills available for West Auckland customers.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the online store. Enables product sales, payment processing, and order management for The ReCreators business operations.
• UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)coreOthersAlignment with UN SDGs, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action). Core purpose enables community to live more sustainably through creative upcycling. Focus on reducing consumerism and stopping extraction of virgin materials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Bower Reuse & Repair Centre: Sydney-based reuse cooperative offering workshops, repair cafes, and upcycled goods. Directly comparable as a community-led circular-economy enterprise combining education with retail.
• Sustainability Trust: Wellington-based environmental charity offering community workshops and sustainability programmes. Comparable as a regional NZ organisation delivering sustainability education to households and community groups.
• Reverse Garbage Queensland: Australian reuse-resource centre running upcycling workshops and selling reclaimed materials to the public. Closely mirrors The ReCreators' dual workshop-plus-retail social enterprise model, though at larger scale and with a materials-supply focus.
• The Rubbish Trip: New Zealand zero-waste educators running workshops on waste reduction and DIY reuse. Comparable workshop-based sustainability education model targeting New Zealand consumers.
• EcoMatters Enviroschools: Auckland environmental charity delivering sustainability education programmes and community workshops. Comparable as a regional environmental education provider, though less product-retail oriented.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy: Global handmade goods marketplace with significant New Zealand seller base. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the handmade/upcycled goods category, though without The ReCreators' workshop or community-education layer.
• Keep New Zealand Beautiful: Long-established national environmental education charity operating across New Zealand. Comparable mission space but broader scope (litter, beautification, education) with much larger institutional reach than The ReCreators.

Others

• Felt NZ: New Zealand handcraft marketplace that lists The ReCreators' products. Comparable as a parallel sales channel for handmade goods rather than a competitor in workshops.
• Humanitix: Ticketing platform used by The ReCreators for workshop bookings; a technology partner rather than competitor. Comparable as ecosystem infrastructure for workshop-based businesses.
• TheMarket NZ: The Warehouse Group's online marketplace where The ReCreators lists products. Comparable as a parallel distribution channel rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ger_tew
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7CWzA22uv4G0cgJV5RgXXw
• Facebookfacebook.com/therecreatorsnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/therecreatorsnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-recreators

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The ReCreators