15 Sustainable Brands Who Use Recycled & Post-Consumer Waste to Make Beautiful New Products
Image: LowTides
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Brands Who Use Recycled Materials to Create New Sustainable Products
Some of the most interesting sustainable products are the ones made from other people's trash. So many brands recycle waste into new products for us to love again.
What Types of Recycled Materials Are They Using?
From recycled metals to recycled fibers, it's amazing what you can do to prolong an object's life. I love knowing the history behind what I wear and use every day, and with 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 aren't your average home recycling projects. With each brand, I tell you what type of recycled materials they are using, and you can find everything from recycled food to recycled plastic. They are truly unique!
15 Sustainable Brands Using Recycled Materials:
1) Shades of Green
Materials: Recycled Fibers, Wood, Cast Iron, Plastic
This beautiful enameled cookware is made from 40% recycled cast iron.
These are just some of the few Shades of Green products made from recycled materials. You can also find blankets and other kitchen utensils.
This online marketplace only showcases products that have undergone rigorous evaluation and are made to last you many years.
2) 2°EAST
Materials: Recycled Plastic Bottles
Like many eco-friendly brands, it started with a simple question: "Is it possible to produce a quality, everyday watch that doesn't cost the earth?". These watches are consciously made with the planet in mind, but they also think about our wallets and budgets with their more affordable price. Their interchangeable NATO strap line is made with 100% post-consumer recycled PET (RePET). Plus, their packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable.
3) Allégorie
Materials: Recycled Apple & Mango Peels
More than 30% of mangos are wasted during harvesting and transportation, and another 7% are wasted in supermarkets.
Allégorie has collected discarded mangos from supermarkets. They’ve also collected apple peels from the juice industry since the juice industry generates 1.4 million tons of apple peel waste each year! They take both fruits and create textiles through eco-friendly processes.
4) Atelier Saucier
Materials: Reclaimed Fabrics
ATELIER SAUCIER is a modern tabletop design house based in Los Angeles for sustainable + customizable linens.
With backgrounds in the food + fashion industries, founders (and best friends) Nikki Reed and Staci Inspektor set out to combine their varied experiences and shared passion for hosting; and introduce a fresh, elevated perspective to all things table linens. ATELIER SAUCIER is where entertaining, dining, and design intersect.
5) Dr. Scholl’s Shoes
Materials: Recycled Plastic Bottles
I was so excited to partner up with Dr.Scholl’s this past spring to show you all the new sustainable initiatives they have been implementing over the last couple of years.
They have started using plastic bottles to create their range of shoes for men, women & children (plus many other sustainable materials).
You can read all about their more eco-friendly materials in their brand feature here.
6) EarthHero
Materials: Recycled Plastic, Rubber, Paper, Etc…
This eco-friendly online marketplace is home to hundreds of brands, many of which use recycled materials to create new products.
I wrote a post on Eco-Friendly Office Supplies about a year ago showcasing some unique products they offer for your home workspace.
So many excellent recycled goods!
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7) Lo & Sons
Materials: Recycled Plastic Bottles
I own one of their organic cotton duffles, and their quality is excellent. In addition to Lo & Sons’ organic cotton collection, they also have several pieces made from recycled polyester. Using this recycled fabric, you can find many of their designs, from backpacks to large weekend duffles. Recycled polyesters are great for traveling because they are easy to clean off, and you don’t feel guilty about using virgin plastics.
8) LowTides
Materials: Recycled Ocean Plastic
With a truckload of plastic being dumped into our oceans every day (yeah, it’s terrible), there has to be something positive to come from all the waste.
Low Tides uses this ocean plastic to create its collection of chairs, and the prints are so fun! These chairs are very easy to carry with their two back straps.
They also have 2 cup holders to enjoy refreshing drinks while watching the waves.
9) 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 with all of Made Trade’s goods 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.
10) Micro Kickboard
Materials: Recycled Fishnets
Micro Kickboard is well-known for their kid scooters and fun helmets, but recently they released an ECO scooter made from recycled, discarded fishnets. My son loves this scooter, and we ride it around the neighborhood almost daily.
The Mini Deluxe is $90 and is for 2-5-year-olds, and the Maxi Deluxe is $140 and is for ages 5-12. They both come with a gold standard 2-year manufacturer's warranty. Indeed a superb buy!
11) Paravel
Materials: Recycled Bottles
Paravel is a sustainable travel brand dedicated to exploring the world while minimizing our impact on it. They make one of the most sustainable carry-ons with a durable recycled polycarbonate exterior; recycled zippers, a lining made from 15 upcycled plastic water bottles; vegan leather details and wrapped steel handles; and an aircraft-grade recycled aluminum handle.
I own one, and it really is a nice piece of luggage!
12) Look Optic
Materials: Recycled TR-90
Merging featherweight, fashion-forward design with 100% Recycled TR-90, LOOK OPTIC's collection of sustainable eyewear offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditionally disposable readers, blue-light glasses, and sunglasses. Actively giving back to promote a more sustainable feature, the brand partners with Lion's Club to help upcycle and redistribute old frames and TerraCycle to assist in repurposing hard-to-recycle elements (frames, lenses and hinges), transforming old frames into running tracks, playgrounds, & more.
13) Malaika New York
Materials: Deadstock, Upcycled Bike Tubes, Recycled PET
Malaika New York’s unique zero waste designs embrace the female body, focusing on comfort, versatility, and timelessness. Their simple yet powerful designs can be styled in a variety of different ways. Malaika is a great choice if you feel like trends are wasteful and are building a high-quality capsule collection.
14) All the Wild Roses
Materials: Surplus Fabrics
I've always thought of this brand as the ethical Free People. It's romantic, free-spirited, and all-around lovely.
All the Wild Roses uses a lot of surplus fabrics to create their designs. We love when brands use fabric that has already been created rather than something new. They are also now a Certified B-Corp Brand!
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15) RECOSIVITY
Materials: REPREVE® Recycled Polyester
RECOSIVITY’s buttery soft leggings are made from the number one recycled, certified, and traceable performance fiber, and they plant a tree for every order. In addition, all products are made in the USA, meaning they are one of the first activewear brands to combat the planet-killing CO2 emissions from overseas manufacturing. They also use innovations that reduce the amount of water and energy used in the dyeing process, and their sustainability promise extends to their packaging, which is 100% recycled and recyclable.
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