Stylish Products made from Waste due Sustainable Upcycling
To create as less waste as possible and to recycle waste ist part of HOLISTIC LIVING and HOLISTIC NATURE CARE. At present Products from Waste, especially from plastic and plants, are highly rated, not also in the fashion industry, but also in people`s mind. They understand, that we can’t keep on producing waste like before, but need to reuse, what is already there. Here we present really Great Products from waste and Upcycling, which are produced by companies, which are also socially engaged. Their products and materials are also used by big brands.
Outdoor Products from old Plastic by VAUDE
In the 1970s, VAUDE was one of the first companies in the world, who manufactured their products in an environmental friendly way from recycled materials and introduce the circular economy.
The company was founded by Albrecht von Dewitz, who was passionate about mountain sports. In the 1970s, when the term “Outdoor” did not yet exist and real mountain sports equipment was hardly available, he recognized the great potential for this market. In 1974 he founded the company VAUDE, which he named after his initials v. D.
The one-man company became one of Europe’s leading mountain sports brands. They make shoulder bags from partially recycled material, for example from recycled PET bottles or plastic tarpaulins, which do not contain harmful PVC. For this the German company works with recycling companies like Interseroh and APK.
Great Products made from Waste with PFC free impregnation
The bags are resistant, durable and waterproof. Thanks to the treatment with Eco Finish, which was developed by VAUDE, they do not contain any environmentally harmful PFC. However, after washing, the products must be treated with a fluorocarbon-free impregnation agent.
Perfluorinated chemical compounds (PFC) were invented by humans in the 1960s. Since then, they have been used on the surface of textiles to make them water, dirt and oil repellent. However, they are not degradable and have been detected in mother’s milk of polar bears. In 2021, Vaude changed its entire product range, with a few exceptions in the tent area.
Great Products made from Waste: Vegan Sneakers from Plastic Bottles
Leather can be produced from trash. Ashay Bhave, a 23 year old young man from India, invented a method, to produce a leather-like material out of used plastic bags. The brand name ‘Thaely’ literally translates to plastic bags in Hindi. He create really cool sneakes, which are vegan, sustainable and en Vogue. Many well known fashion brands are supporting his company.
Ashay Bhave is the founder of ThaelyTex. The idea came up, when he was in college and worked on a design project. Since his childhood he was witnessing the problem of plastic waste firsthand, through his mother’s involvement in a local waste management facility. He noticed that plastic bags were not being properly recycled, leading to significant environmental pollution.
Determined to make a difference, Ashay invented ThaelyTex® in 2020. It is a revolutionary new fabric, that looks and feels like leather, but is made entirely out of waste plastic bags. The production process does not need any additional chemicals nor does it release any toxic chemicals as a by-products.
Tracing Thaely Tex shoe by Emma
Each pair is constructed from components made from 10 plastic bags and 12 plastic bottles. Since the start of 2021, Thaely has recycled over 250,000 plastic bags and 270,000 plastic bottles produced and sold over 11,000 sneakers across the globe. Furthermore, the soles of the sneakers are made from recycled rubber.
Thaely’s commitment to veganism is included in the production process, where vegan glue for binding and vegan cleaning products for disinfection are used. For this, the company received a certification and the prestigious „Best Sneaker Award“ in 2021 from PETA, the largest animal protection organization PETA in the world.
Furthermore Thaely’s mission is not only to recycle plastic waste, but also to educate people about ethical consumption. They also help garbage collectors, who are exploited in India with unfair wages for long hours of work. Thaely offers them fair wages as well as financial and health support, which includes healthy meals and sufficient breaks at work, especially when weather conditions are extreme. Thaely has introduced a five-day week, other than the usual seven-day regulations in many other Indian waste management companies.
Upcycling trash
Great Products made from Waste: Mindful Mate - Yoga Mats from recycled rubber
Nowadays we can recycle every material into a sustainable product for daily use. The company Kiss the Sky in USA, Vermont, turns old rubber pieces into a stylish Yoga mat. They have calculated, that each recycled rubber Yoga mat has a lower emission than in conventional production of mats.
Natural and free of harmful substances
Yoyoka from Germany is another company, who produce a so called „Mindful Mate“, which is a Yoga mat, made out of natural and recycled materials. They combine natural rubber with recycelt plastic bottles, which makes the mat soft and elastic.
These mats don’t possess any harmful substances like synthetic softeners, silicons or Azo dyes. The company also support enviromental organizations, for example a NGO, who clean the beaches on the Indonesian Island of Gili Trawangan.
Great Products from Waste: Furniture from your own clothes
The company Rezign® recycles clothing into sustainable surfaces for furniture like tables, cupboards, kitchen fronts, desktops or for workbooks in a very aesthetic way. From textile waste and biobased fibres they developed a material called Rezign Veneer, which is a sustainable alternative to standard coating for furniture. By sending them your old clothes, you can get them turned into custom-made item on request.
