A learning disabled man from Surrey has been taking upcycling to another level with his unique garden planters.

Lawrence, who attends the Kingston Day Opportunities Resource Centre, a day service for learning disabled adults run by charity Hft, saw a unique opportunity two years ago when he found a spare, unused toilet left over from a recent renovation.

Being a keen plumber, he was able to dismantle, clean and put the toilet back together. The end result was an upcycled toilet that could be used as a unique planter.

Lawrence now enjoys growing flowers in the unusual planter. It’s taken pride of place in the community garden, alongside a shopping trolley he upcycled to grow strawberries in.

Flexible Support Development Manager at Hft, Melissa Hulbert, says Lawrence loves learning about the plumbing process and finding out how things are put together.

“He also enjoys drawing very detailed and beautiful pictures of toilets, washing machines and pipes. He loves plumbing so much that he’s always had a goal of working in a plumbing shop and we were thrilled to be able to support Lawrence in doing just that – he now enjoys volunteering at his local plumbing supplies shop,” explains Melissa.

“Upcycling is such a great way for us to reduce our waste by taking unused materials and repurposing for use in other areas.”

As we celebrated National Upcycling Day on 24 June, it’s refreshing to see the creative ways that unused or unwanted items can be upcycled and have a new lease of life.