Ecoalf and Cool Hunting have created a new Limited Edition Anorak for this spring; a jacket that feature a uniquely bold green color with just a hint of contrasting camouflage. It is made from 60 percent recycled fishing net and 40 percent regular nylon and the result is a lightweight yet highly durable jacket that is water-resistant and will keep you dry this spring and summer.
Tag: recycled
Made in America: Totally Hosed
Sadly many of the old industrial centers of the United States are now just crumbling ruins – but Detroit Cargo is preserving the past with some upcycled products including a new card holder made from very old fire houses.
As Detroit Cargo noted, these fire hoses have not been up to code since the 1960’s and only in Detroit can you find buildings that have been abandoned long enough to find these old hoses. They’ve salvaged them, clean them and sew a leather strip to the bottom. They’ve created card holders that can carry ID, credit cards, business cards and more. These are cycle friendly as the card holder fit in the products.
And just like America’s industrial past this product won’t last forever. Detroit Cargo expects to run out of hose later this year, so grab them while you can.
Broken Board to Bottle Opener
What do you do with a broken skateboard? A bonfire might be one option, but Virginia skate shop Scene 3 is taking old skateboard decks and transforming these into colorful bottle openers. The broken boards are cut, glued and pressed so it is more than just a trashed piece of wood – and it allows that favorite deck to live on, and even open the bottle to toast its demise.
[Via HiConsumption: Recycled Skateboard Bottle Openers by Scene3]
A Mightly Wind
Nike’s new Hyperadapt Wind Jacket, which was released last month, might just blow you away. This jacket features four-way stretch technology but with a sweater-like feel that is windproof and rain-resistant, while elastic cuffs will keep the sleeves from moving up and down during the swing.
Nike also used reclaimed materials – in this case recycled coffee grounds – to produce the windproof coating on the outer shell. This helped reduce odor from perspiration while also assisting in UV protection. It is ready for spring… if that ever gets here!
Press Release: Nike Golf Introduces the Hyperadapt Wind Jacket
From Tree to Board
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzdThCaAr_o&list=PL34695342B698FC80&feature=share
The holidays are over, but the joy of Christmas lives on as our friends at Signal Snowboards recently showed in their latest Every Third Thursday segment.
Bike Tube Tablet Sling Case on Kickstarter from Green Guru
Take a few punctured bike tubes, and you have a big spaghetti mess. But the folks at Green Guru Gear know how to craft those inner tubes into useful objects such as pannier bags, messenger bags and wallets. Now Green Guru has turned to Kickstarter for the company’s next product: a tablet case sized for an iPad. Continue reading Bike Tube Tablet Sling Case on Kickstarter from Green Guru
Trashin’ Deck
While skateboarders may like to “thrash” one skateboard company is instead looking to trash. Bureo Skateboards has picked up on the old adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure and the company is looking to reduced the plastic pollution along Chile’s coastline while at the same time producing new skateboards.
The company is among 85 businesses that were accepted out of 1,300 applicants into Start-Up Chile, a government-sponsored accelerator program that provides these start-ups with $40,000 to get rolling. Bureo Skateboards was reportedly the only non-technology based company accepted into the program but clearly its message struck a nerve with someone.
North¬eastern alumnus Ben Kneppers is the company’s co-founder, and he previously received $10,000 in gap funding from IDEA, the Northeastern student-run venture accelerator. Thanks to this Bureo team has made it their mission to make a difference and contribute to the fight against plastic pollution in the oceans, while providing innovative skateboards on lane.
Bureo Skateboards
[Via news@Northestern: From plastic pollution to sustainable skateboards]
Made in America: Up and Pull
With summer soon to give way to fall we know that you can never have too many hoodies, and the Dirtball Pullover Hoodie offers more but uses less. It is made in the USA of 50 percent recycled cotton and 50 percent recycled plastic water bottles. So in other words it is almost like wearing a whole lot of nothing.
Pulp Nonfiction
Bike sharing is a great way to get around a city without actually owning a bike. The problem is that when using a shared bike things like helmets aren’t exactly provided. The idea of “shared” helmets are in development, but these require sanitization after each use.
The Paper Pulp Helmet offers another solution, which its creators are looking to bring to market. While still in the concept stage the Paper Pulp Helmet was developed by Royal College Of Art in London graduates Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen, and Ed Thomas. These helmets can be made from newspapers collected from around the public transport network in London. These discarded papers are mixed with water to create a pulp, which in turn an organic element is added. Pigment is added to help differentiate the size.
The mixture is vacuum-formed into a shape, heated and then left to dry. The result is a simply helmet that can be reused or recycled. More importantly it can be sold for around £1 each (US$1.50), thus providing an expensive brain bucket for riders. Video after the jump
Billboards to Bags
Toronto based Totem Bags is yet the latest company we’ve seen that has been strong in the upcycling movement, and this start up from Melissa Richardson is using truck tarps, promotional banners, seatbelts and bike tires and creating durable bags while keeping those materials out of a landfill.
The company has been on the move since 2009, and received is first big break when the National Ballet of Canada handed over a stockpile of promotional banners that could be repurposed into products for the gift shop. The company has expanded its clients to include the likes of Chevrolet,Audi, IMAX and the Toronto International Film Festival.
While she started working in her home, today each bag in the line is handmade at a manufacturing facility, but Richardson still puts her stamp of approval on each item. In this way Richardson’s success is just about in the bag.
Epic Competition For Billboards
From swords to plowshares used to be the old saying, but in the 21st century it could be from billboards to bags. We reported back in November that Mat Dusting of Kingston St. Mary in the U.K. had started a business turning old truck tarpaulins into ski and snowboard bags, while California based Rareform was turning vinyl from billboards into surfboard cases.
Perhaps Epicstoke liked what it heard – and who can blame them. The start-up is now taking billboards and creating ski bags in Minnesota. They are also making wallets, bags, backpacks and even surfboard bags – so Rareform watch out as you might have some competition. In other words all those eyesores on the highway could soon be seen on the slopes and on backs – but in a much less eyesore kind of way! This is something to get stoked about, dare we say epic stoked?
Looking to Be Common
Protecting the environment and finding new uses for old things shouldn’t be rare, it should be commonplace and that’s just what Rareform Surfboard Bags are looking to do. We first heard about this company last fall, and now it has gone from concept to reality. The Los Angeles business is up and running and with surf season’s waves picking up we decided it was time to remind our readers about this company.
Rareform is a company that upcycles used products – in this case vinyl often reclaimed from billboards – and this makes each of its surfboard bags totally unique. These are made of UV-, hat-, water and mildew-resistant tarpaulin along with a quarter inch of foam padding so the board inside will be protected. The bags feature a mesh interior pocket, plus a 600D polyester nose protection, and even come with a removable shoulder strap. We expect these Rareform bags to be commonplace very soon.
Recycled Skate Decks
We’ve seen companies such as MapleXo turn used skateboards into sunglasses and iPhone cases, but apparently other companies are looking to ensure that old skate decks don’t end up in landfills. Streetwear maker Diamond Supply Co. is launching its own mini-accessory line that includes an iPhone 5 case and companion sunglass frame.
These products are made from 100 percent recycled skateboard wood, and feature the words “BRILLIANTLY CRAFTED” etched onto the frames. Brilliant and sustainable.