I think some of the most interesting sustainable products are the ones made from other people’s trash. There are so many brands who are taking waste and recycling it into new products for us to love again. From recycled metals to recycled fibers, it’s truly amazing what you can do to prolong the life of an object. I love knowing the history behind what I wear and use everyday, and these products, you usually don’t know what the first product was until someone tells you - ‘oh yeah, that was made out of old t-shirts OR that was made out of plastic bottles’. That’s how advanced we are when it comes to recycling. These really aren’t your average home recycling projects ;)

Up-Fuse

Materials: Plastic Bags

It’s amazing the color and textures you can create with old plastic bags. Up-fuse is saving almost 30 plastic bags from sitting in a landfill with each product produced. Plus, each bag is sustainably-produced in their in-house workshop by their talented local sewers. I love that while they are making a conscious product, they are raising awareness for one of our biggest threats - plastic pollution.

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rothy’s

Materials: Recycled Plastic Bottles

Rothy’s strives for zero-waste and uses eco-friendly materials for all of their collections. Can you believe theses cute shoes were made from repurposed plastic bottles?! “Shaping a sustainable future is at the core of everything we do at Rothy’s. We’re all about transforming eco-friendly materials into stylish, wear-everywhere products to love.” - rothys.com

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amour vert

Materials: Recycled Cotton, Brass, Wool, Poly

This brand offers us a wide variety of products made with recycled materials. “Our sustainable practices address all aspects of our business operations and the full lifecycle of a garment— the fibers and production processes used, how workers are treated, how it gets to the consumer and finally, whether it can be recycled or is forced into landfill.” - amourvert.com

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thought

Materials: Recycled Nylon, Wool & Plastic Bottles

Thought has always been one of my favorites. They use a lot of organic cottons and other natural fibers, and their look is just so fresh. I also love the fact they have recycled nylon tights and raincoats made from plastic bottles. I mean, how gorgeous is this recycled wool coat?! “What drives us is our mission to live more thoughtfully – something we hope to inspire you to do too.” - wearethought.com

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kool & konscious

Materials: Recycled Brass, Polyester, PET

This online marketplace is home to close to 100 sustainable & ethical brands all made with care for the environment and the people who make it.
They have timeless, yet modern pieces, for both men and women. A great feature of the online store is their impact score which measures the Water and CO2 savings on each item. “Choosing sustainability should be a joy, not a burden. We believe choice is the only way to permanent change.” - koolandkonscious.com

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ecovibe

Materials: Recycled Cotton, Metals, Water Bottles

Another online marketplace with tons of wonderful eco-friendly brands to look through! I’ve linked their section of products with recycled materials, and you can find things for your home and your closet. “ We take time and care to consider where and how things are made, who makes them and what they are made out of. We support local designers, women, minority and family owned businesses and small makers and manufacturers.” -ecovibestyle.com

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malia designs

Materials: Recycled Canvas, Feed & Cement Bags

“Malia Designs is a fair trade handbag and accessories brand that combines lively design, the use of recycled materials and affordable price points. Our products are handcrafted in Cambodia and every purchase helps to fight human trafficking.” It’s amazing how good you can make feed bags and cement bags look after they’ve been used! Malia Designs has a lot of fun wallets and bags repurposing this waste.

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Fair Anita

Materials: Recycled Metals

“Our products are always fair trade, made in ethical working conditions, where our female artisan partners are paid 2-3x minimum wage plus health insurance and educational scholarships. We're striving to be as eco-friendly as a consumer-driven brand can be. Nearly all our products are made from recycled materials, and we offset our carbon footprint by funding and supporting anti-climate change initiatives with our artisan partners around the world.”

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yabal

Materials: Upcycled Denim & Plastic Bags

It’s always amazing to me what you can create from someone else’s trash. Every product made through Yabal supports indigenous women’s weaving cooperatives in Guatemala. This outlet gives them the opportunity to sell their hand-woven products through local and international markets. Yabal is a member of both the World Fair Trade Organization and the Fair Trade Federation so you can feel confident the product you are buying is paying the maker a fair wage.

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made trade

Materials: Recycled Plastic, Rubber, Yarn

I’m sure you have seen this shop on my site a few times already! Made Trade is home to several of my favorite sustainable brands - many of which use recycled materials to create their products. I’ve attached a link that has all of Made Trade’s goods which are composed of post-consumer waste, and there are A LOT of them!! From clothes to your closet to dining in your kitchen, it’s amazing how many products are created from waste.

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noissue

Materials: Recycled Paper

I've never seen customizable, eco-friendly tape before! Their tape is water-activated which allows them to print on non-glossy/wax-coated paper. Gloss and wax are not biodegradable, so noissue has found a sustainable alternative where you use a water activated take dispenser (or a sponge) to activate the stickiness. How awesome is that? And of course, this tape is printed on FSC Recycled certified paper with soy-based inks.

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tonlé

Materials: Upcycled Fabrics

If you aren't familiar with the zero-waste strategies within the fashion industry, there are two popular ones {1} where all the materials are used within a pattern {2} where garments are made from existing materials. tonlé believes in combining the two in order to honor their commitment to sustainability to the fullest. Even their smallest scraps are made into recycled office paper and sticky rice for their hang tags!

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the parallel connection

Materials: Recycled Poly

The Parallel Connection uses recycled poly to create their line of leggings and pants, and all are printed in Virginia & sewn in NYC. Plus, a portion of sales are donated to understood.org, an organization supporting learning disability awareness and giving parents the tools the need to help their children thrive.

 

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devi arts collective

Materials: Recycled Silver & Gold 

When designing, Bayoush is inspired by her Ethiopian heritage where she has learned beauty dances between the simple and the complex. She is also inspired by the natural world, and uses texturing and manipulation techniques to mimic nature. The recycled sterling silver and 14k gold-filled wire come from a company who takes scrap pieces from artisans and creates new materials for designers like Bayoush to use.