Recycled

Ollari’s shows us how to take slats of wood from a rickety old door and pallets to create a nifty new piece of outdoor furniture. If you put your mind to it, it’s amazing what you can achieve with a saw, some screws, and glue. We dig the burnt look of the finished piece.

IDIDTHAT creates whimsical and functional art by reclaiming vintage objects. They have lots of cool stuff in their Etsy shop, but our favorites are these old rotary phones from the 1950s and 1960 which have been converted to desk lamps. Their coiled cords can be bent into various positions, and their LED light source is nice and bright.

Shmoxd shows us how to make recycled paper using readily available materials. He then adds texture and color to the new paper by adding different bits like plants, food and even shredded electronics. But will it blend?

How to Make Everything is usually busy making ordinary items in overly complex ways by creating them from scratch. But this time, what he made was anything but ordinary – an electric guitar fabricated from junked car parts, complete with a Mad Max-style flamethrower.

Nimble’s iPhone cases are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, along with fabric exterior for texture. No plastic is wasted in packaging them, and for each one purchased, 5% of the price goes to non-profits who help protect our oceans and marine life.

The upper of VIA Design Lab’s stylish sneakers is knit from yarn made from recycled plastic. It also has a membrane that keeps water, dirt, and odor out for up to 2 hours. Its heel can also be folded to turn the shoe into a more breathable low-top. It comes in three colors.

Everlane’s Tread shoes are made from 45% recycled materials. Only 5.8% of the sole is made from virgin plastic, unlike many shoes where the sole is almost entirely made of the non-biodegradable material. It will be available in six colors starting 4/25/19.

Everlane’s affordable and versatile All-Weather Jacket is windproof, water-resistant and has a relaxed fit. Like the rest of Everlane’s ReNew collection, its fabric is made entirely from recycled plastic water bottles. It comes in black, navy or olive.

Hybrid Green Label makes shoes with outsoles that are partially made from recycled rubber. Depending on the design, the uppers are made with one or a mix of canvas, leather, mesh, suede or knit fabric. They have high top and low top models in various colorways. Also on Amazon.

Design studio Giò Forma was hired by Timberland to create a giant robot sculpture out of recycled plastic bottles. On display for Milan Design Week 2019, it’s a nod to Timberland’s ReBOTL material, a key part of their sustainability efforts.

Jackman Works walks us through the complex process of making wooden coasters with a cool diamond pattern. He starts out with sticks of old pallet wood, stacks and laminates them with glue, cuts them on the diagonal, then slices, CNC carves circles, and finishes each one.

Quartertwenty created this slick piece of upcycled modern furniture which is made using cork from inside of aluminum baseball bats. The cork provides style and cushioning, while aluminum rods and steel provide stability.

The North Face’s Bottle Source clothing is partially made of Repreve polyester, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. The bottles used came from the waste collected in Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Grand Teton National Parks.

Oak Lane Woodworks handmakes these beautiful and substantial pens using reclaimed wood from whiskey barrels. They can be had with a twist or bolt-action mechanism, crafted from Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, or Makers Mark barrel wood.

Like all of Freitag’s bags, the Zippelin is made from heavy duty upcycled truck tarps. It also has a capacity of 85L. But it’s packable and lighter than many travel bags because it uses an inflatable bicycle inner tube instead of a metal or plastic frame.

Karst Stone Paper makes notebooks without using wood pulp, water, bleach, or acid. Instead, they recycle stones from mining wastes to create paper that’s waterproof, tear-resistant and smooth. The notebooks come in A5 and A6 sizes.

Trisha Cheeney’s jackets and bags are made almost entirely out of recycled materials. The insulated jacket uses around 214 plastic shopping bags and fleece made from recycled materials. The windbreaker is made of about 90 bags and mesh made from recycled materials.

Australian artist Moerkey creates sculptures using recycled keys, coins, and copper as his primary media. While the skull, bowl, and wine bottle designs are very cool, there’s something about the giant sphere of keys that catches our eye. His smallest spheres are nifty too.

Dakota Stitch & Design makes bags and other accessories out of used firefighter uniforms, aka bunker gear. Nicole Gibson started the business after her husband, a firefighter, refused to buy expensive diaper bags. She made do with what she had, and the rest is history.

World Cup USA footballer Jay DeMerit is the man behind this line of unique Bluetooth speakers crafted from slices of reclaimed wood logs. Each one is made from an unused cut-off, dead standing, or felled tree that would have otherwise gone unused.

White’s Modern Industrial takes clean oil drums and turns them into unique pieces of furniture with distressed finishes. They offer a few different styles, but we’re particularly fond of ones with the barrels set on their sides.

Another amazing blacksmithing video by Miller Knives, in which he takes a rusty old railroad spike, and gradually hammers, grinds, and sculpts it into a completely usable tomahawk. We’d love to see what he could turn an old tomahawk into.

Skate or Design creates vibrant and functional home accessories and furniture from reclaimed skateboard decks. The highlight of their collection is this 40″ wide coffee table covered in colorful wood decks. A hidden steel frame underneath provides structure and rigidity.

Phighter Images makes all kinds of awesome home decor for aircraft buffs, but we’re particularly excited about their ceiling fans, constructed to look like the fans from famous jet engines. They may look the part, but they’re definitely quieter than the real thing.

Thailand sculptor Mari9art’s incredible build is made from recycled car parts and scrap steel. It measures 2.2m tall (~7.2 ft), and includes free door-to-port shipping, though getting it to your house might be a challenge from there. His lifesize T-Rex is even more mindblowing.

Frost Auto Decor makes a variety of home furnishings from reclaimed car parts. Our favorites are these lamps made from engine valve covers, mounted on harmonic balancers. They can also be made as wall sconces.

Yet another wonderful reuse for old Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels, Heritage Handcrafted’s 24″ high wood stools will look great at your kitchen counter. They’re come with round swivel or fixed square seats, and each one has its own unique character.

The Boeing Store’s Custom Hangar features custom furniture and accessories made from components of the company’s retired aircraft. One of our faves? This anodized aluminum table with the engine exhaust cone off an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet as its centerpiece.

Heritage Handcrafted makes handsome commemorative boxes from reclaimed whiskey barrels. Each box preserves its characteristic interior char, and has a cedar-lined cigar humidor insert, 4 shot glasses, and space for a bottle. Boxes can be personalized too.

Hungary-based artist Felvarrom creates bags, belts, and other accessories using upcycled bicycle innertubes. Their 8″ x 4″ x 4″ tube bags are perfect for carrying grooming products, tools, or other small items. Each bag is unique.