Caroline Crampton

One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure

It just takes a bit of imagination to recycle the meanest objects into something spectacular, say Lisa Woollett and Emily Cockayne

Objects retrieved from the Thames by Lisa Woollett. Credit: Lisa Woollett
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  • Rag and Bone: A Family History of Everything We Throw Away

    Lisa Woollett

    John Murray, pp. 240, £16

  • Rummage: A History of the Things We Have Reused, Recycled and Refused to Let Go

    Emily Cockayne

    Profile, pp. 400, £16

All it takes to turn a cast-off into a prized possession can be a bit of imagination. To a passerby, a bookcase left on the pavement might be perfect for that impossible-to-furnish alcove. An empty bottle, once the waves have worn it smooth, could become a precious jewel for a beachcomber.

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