Life-Saving Accessories: Repurposed Seatbelts

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Liz Grotyohann .

Interrobang collects seatbelts from junked cars at wrecking yards and from car parts recycling centers and stitches them into bags, wallets and laptop cases. Amazingly durable, but with a sleek, modern look, these accessories will last you a long time and keep your goods safe. As Interrobang puts it: “You trust your seatbelt with your life, and now you can trust it with your laptop!”

What Do You Get When You Turn a Soccer Ball Inside Out?

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Paula Mitchell Bentley .

A purse of course is what you get when you turn a soccer ball inside out! Check out this clever reused ball that’s being sold through Branch. It’s on sale until the end of the month for $98. When the sale is over, it’ll cost you $198! Each ball is used which makes each purse truly unique. This is a “must have” for all the soccer moms on the go in their hybrids!

Recycled Plastic Bag Lamp

Posted on January 7, 2009 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Oscar Lhermitte is a designer who works towards “Resolving issues with simple eco-friendly solutions.” The Atesko uses a plastic shopping bag stretched over a wire frame to create a similar effect to the Japanese Shoji lantern or Korean Hanji lamp.

Recycled Car Seats and Armchairs to Sandals and Bags

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Fair trade, sustainability, recycled materials, mindful consumption, and environmental awareness are all in a days work at Be Good Designs. Crafting fine leather goods using material that would end up as trash is the angle this company is taking all the way to the bank.

GreenAid Reusable Bag: Fighting The War on Plastic

Posted on September 17, 2008 by Matt Embrey .

Here’s a fun design from the design collaborative of Lovegrove & Repucci that’s blowin’ up the reusable bag scene… GreenAid.  For those of you who haven’t had your coffee yet, it’s a play on words, you know… GreenAid > Grenade.  The info on their site is sparse and they are not available to buy yet, [...]

City Bag Trade: Raincoats Recycled Into Bags

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Matt Embrey .

How do you combine fashion, practicality, and sustainability into one product?  Kendra Stanley’s answers this by making old raincoats into bags!  Her company is called City Bag Trade, and if you want to get your hands on one of her rain coat carry crafts you can buy one, you can send a jacket in trade [...]

PANO Chair: Less Space, Less Waste

Posted on August 15, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

The PANO Chair utilizes the single sheet of ply wood it is cut from nearly to completion. The single board is cut using a high powered water jet. The pieces, once popped out, fit together without the aid of glue, screws, or nails using lever force, wedge methods, and flexed surfaces that secure one another. [...]

Stug Bags From Recycled Rubber Printing Blankets

Posted on July 22, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

“Promoting the waste=food principle” Stug Bags use reclaimed rubber to construct their multipurpose line. Rubber printing blankets are commonly found in the offset printing business where the rubber is a coating over a compressible substance and is used to transfer ink to the printing surface. Using this material Stug then manufactures a variety of bag [...]

DIY Reusable Bags Made From… Bags

Posted on July 21, 2008 by Matt Embrey .

We feature reusable shopping bags all the time on greenUPGRADER and while they are an important staple in our sustainable lives, they are beginning to get boring.  If you’ve seen one you’ve seen em all… except this bag (pictured on the right) that I found over at MyRecycledBags.com, which I can safely say I’ve [...]

The Big Tire Bag by Refinding

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann .

Upgrade: $175
 

They call it “Trashion.” Everyday gear that is tough as a tank, refurbished from old tires, shoes, trading cards, fixtures, you name it. Refinding.com offers beautiful and durable “Trashion” products that anyone could use in their everyday life. The Big Tire Bag is a hefty 5lbs so you better have some guns to [...]