Transforming donations into one

From scraps of metal to old skis, these Mass. creatives breathe new life into old cast-off items.

From scraps of metal to old skis, these Mass. creatives breathe new life into old cast-off items.

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From scraps of metal to old skis, these Mass. creatives breathe new life into old cast-off items.

Welder and artist David Dawson is bringing new creatures to life in his Hopedale workshop. He uses scrap metal to build quirky and fun characters, which he says his customers often name. Dawson learned welding with a traditional job in mind, but his love of art was always part of his work. In 2020, he took the creative side of his business full time and named it Scrapped and Found.

SkiChair.com founder Mike Bellino estimates his company recycles 15,000 to 25,000 skis every year. The company started using skis to build chairs in its Millbury workshop more than three decades ago. More recently, they’ve expanded to smaller items, like bottle openers and wine racks. Nearly all of the sports equipment that SkiChair.com uses comes from manufacturers who have brand-new skis that can’t be sold due to warranties or lack of warehouse space.