Recycled designer handbags are all the rage in the fashion world right now. Celebrities and fashionistas alike are sporting beautiful handbags made from repurposed materials such as candy wrappers, automobile seatbelts, and even soda pop tops!
The process of creating recycled fashion is often known as “up-cycling.” Recycling waste products saves natural resources, reduces air and water pollution, cuts carbon emissions, creates jobs, and saves space in landfills. Up-cycling waste products has all the same environmental benefits as recycling, while also turning what was once a discarded piece of garbage into a beautiful, fashionable, and functional work of art. Recycled fashion is often handmade by artisans in disadvantaged countries, so they even help fight poverty around the world. Recycled handbags are an accessory that you can truly feel good about!
Waste products used in designer recycled handbags are salvaged or donated and cleaned. An astonishing variety of products can be turned into recycled handbags.
These are some of my picks for the most stylish recycled designer handbags:
1. Chica Tutti Frutti Bag
The Chica Tutti Frutti Bag is a bright, stylish clutch bag made from recycled candy wrappers! It is perfect for carrying keys, IDs, and other small things. The Chica Tutti Frutti Bag is handmade in Mexico and fair trade certified, which means that in addition to the environmental benefits, the workers who produced the handbag are guaranteed fair wages and safe working conditions.
2. Mandala Handbag
For an offbeat look, the Mandala Handbag is a funky creation made from soda pop tops. The pop tops are hand crocheted into spiral patterns by Neide Ambrosio of Brazil for a unique and creative accessory. The handbag has a polyester lining and zipper top. It come in baby pink, black, blue, and terra.
3. Woman Warrior Purse
Another of Neide Ambrosio’s glittering creations is the Woman Warrior Purse, a recycled designer handbag made from golden zipper pulls. The zipper pulls are woven into a mesh and linked together with aluminum rings and the purse is then lined with satin and closed with a secure lobster claw clasp. This eye-catching handbag is also available in a style called Silver Treasure, which features silver zipper pulls and a sturdy polyester lining.
4. Red Star Tote
The Red Star Tote (shown above) is a popular design made from recycled sailboat sails. This handsome tote bag is lined with blue denim on the inside and has contrasting bright orange trim, with an inside pocket designed to keep small stuff like keys, IDs, and cash organized and easily accessible. The orange nylon webbing strap is 26″ so it fits comfortably over your shoulder but is short enough to tote, and the back of the bag is decorated with a diagonal sail seam. The Red Star Tote is handmade in the United States.
5. Carriage Hobo Handbag
The stylish Carriage Hobo Handbag is made from recycled auto seatbelts with an eco-friendly organic hemp lining and antique nickel hardware. The lining is silk screened with environmentally friendly water-based inks and has four internal slip pockets and one zip pocket. Designed by Harveys and made in the United States, each Carriage Hobo recycled handbag is completely unique and one-of-a-kind.
These are just a few of the amazing variety of beautiful recycled handbags available today. Other popular designs include handbags made from art posters, newspapers, truck tire inner tubes, carpets, skateboards, and even bamboo chopsticks! The creativity and skill that go into crafting recycled designer handbags is truly unmatched.
Many enterprises profess that they are green, but how true is this? What qualifies an enterprise to be termed green? A clear definition of what constitutes a green business is key to identifying enterprises that have a true environment-friendly mindset.
A green enterprise chooses earth-friendly operations as their core way of doing business. They create products that are safe for the environment and/or ensure that their policies, principles, and practices are eco-friendly. They aim to create smaller environmental footprints.
Green enterprises have altered their manufacturing operations to make eco-friendly products. The triple bottom line, a concept coined in 1994 by John Elkington, often features as a benchmark that measures how far an enterprise has adopted environmentally friendly sound practices and policies.
In essence, the triple bottom line places prominence on serious social and ecological performances, building it through a three-part model of organization that functions in three axis; planet, people, and profit. This means that instead of mere profit making as a measure of success, the requirements of triple bottom line call on the enterprises to think beyond profit to its environmental and social impact as well.
This means a truly green enterprise should take into consideration a number of environmental and societal strategies.
Conservation of Water: A green enterprise understands that fresh water supplies are limited and therefore careful usage is important. As such, not only should every stage in its manufacturing and product distribution process, reduce the amount of water consumed, but also the product should consume less water during its lifespan.
Conservation of Energy: Conservation of water goes hand in hand with energy conservation where green enterprises feature. A sustainable business must recognize climate change has a profound effect on the world; including business success. By building energy conservation into its long-term plans, a green enterprise minimizes the risks and impact of rising energy costs and saves money. It also demonstrates to and garners support from its stakeholders and affected populations that it takes a serious interest in climate change. For a manufacturer, this means making factory-floor energy savings and emphasizing on making products that need less energy.
Solid Waste Recycling and Reduction: The amount of waste coming out of a start-to-finish product production process calls for limitation. A production process that minimizes waste through the entire process while having in place waste re-usage and recycling procedures needs to be a cornerstone of a green business. In addition, the finished product must reduce waste emissions.
Prevention of Pollution: A truly green business will have pollution prevention operations as part of its practices. Many manufacturing businesses tend to use toxic ingredients or spew toxic waste and effluent into its environment, resulting in either ground, water, or air pollution. Green enterprises are those working to reduce toxins that go into their products, lessen toxins in their production processes, and make products that function toxin free too.
A truly green enterprise may decide to go above and beyond through giving back to the environment. It can come up with products and processes that will actually help in making the environment better, e.g., high efficiency solar panels or new water filtration processes that have a less negative environmental impact.
Supposing the company does not manufacturer directly. How would such a company be described as green? In general, a green enterprise that operates within an office or distribution center needs to apply similar principles outlined above although with slightly different applications as outlined below.
Conservation of Energy: Green office buildings need a construction that minimizes how much energy occupants consume. Such buildings should incorporate efficient cooling and heating systems, natural or low energy lighting. Having policies that ensure energy efficient appliances and electronics are purchased and used also defines a green enterprise. For such, energy efficiency also spreads to corporate fleets through the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Solid Recycling and Waste Reduction: A truly green business will use resource reduction strategies, including minimizing the waste that comes out of operations. This means a reduction in wasteful packaging or making orders in bulk. It also means having policies that reduce waste and encourage proper waste handling. Employees should be encouraged to conserve the environment through strategies such as using fewer disposables and less paper. In addition, comprehensive recycling programs must be put in place.
Conservation of Water: Any green business will be keen on how it utilizes water with the aim of cutting back consumption and wastage. This means putting measures in place to conserve water; from the washroom fixtures to their cleaning practices.
Prevention of Pollution: Green enterprises will endeavor to reduce pollution through eco-friendly practices in landscaping methods, the use of green janitorial provisions, and even going much further and purchasing carbon offsets that mitigate greenhouse gas pollution created.
Below are two examples of enterprises whose eco-friendly practices are making a difference on the planet.
Charles Thibeau wished to make his own version of colonial-style furniture created using old-fashioned techniques and therefore opted to go for milk paint. By devising a formula made of clay, lime, earth pigments, and milk, all readily available and natural ingredients, he created a product applicable on furniture and wall interiors and exteriors.
He consequently incorporated the Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company once he realized he could make a business venture out of the high demand for his creations. The products are made with renewable and sustainable ingredients. This is in contrast to conventional paints, which are often made of non-renewable petroleum by-products. They have no volatile organic compounds, chemical preservatives, fungicides, and pigments, all of which are toxic ingredients contained in conventional paints. This truly green business is making truly green products.
In recognition of the millions of toothbrushes disposed of in American homes yearly, Eric Hudson decided to build Recycline, a company making eco-friendly products such as the Preserve Toothbrush. This toothbrush is green as its handle is made of purely recycled plastic and practical as well.
Every product from their production line, including Preserve Toothbrushes, is recyclable from waste plastics. That, right there, is a perfect example of the triple bottom line in real life.
From Silicon Valley to Frankfurt, Germany, green tech companies are making their mark globally. I wanted to highlight a few of them that really stand out from the rest. Most of these are companies that are providing innovative technologies for harnessing solar energy into the mainstream market.
1. Fuel Tech
Fuel Tech 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnDespite its emissions, coal is still widely used in industries all over the world. Since it’s an accessible resource for a number of countries, including India and China, very little work has been done to find alternative non-polluting (yet abundant) sources of energy. That’s when companies like Fuel Tech step forward. They help coal-powered utilities to reduce the amount of pollution and operate more efficiently.
Established in 1987, FuelTech has come up with a technology that reduces nitrogen emissions in boilers and furnaces. It’s specialty is cleaning up coal and thereby reducing the resulting pollution.
Since there are over 550 coal power plants in the US alone, FuelTech has come up with a solution to a very pressing problem.
2. Solar Century
Solar Century 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnSolar Century is a UK based solar energy company that provides an alternative source of energy to residential and commercial buildings. Their solar energy products provide their customers with electricity and water heating facilities.
Solar Century has the potential to generate 4 million kWh of electricity every year and has won various business and design awards for its work.
The thing that sets Solar Century apart is that they integrate solar energy systems with standardized building components, making solar part of the fabric of the buildings.
3. Swetree Technologies
Swetree Technologies 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnSwetree is a forest biotech company that improves the productivity of seedlings and trees.
They are primarily discovering new ways of increasing the speed of forestation, without using harmful chemicals or fertilizers.
SweTree uses its technology to assist reforestation programs to preserve the natural habitat. With so much deforestation going on around us, such technology can help a lot in expediting the replanting process.
4. Odersun
Odersun 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnBased in Germany, OderSun has been making thin film solar cells since 2002. Instead of using silicon for their solar cells, they use a combination of copper, indium and sulfur and have the advantage of being able to produce energy in a wide variety of sizes & power capacities.
The solar cells made by OderSun were used in the Beijing Olympics. They provided their thin film solar modules for the Olympic Park. Their flexibility of form and power makes them the perfect candidate for providing solar cell energy to buildings.
5. NanoSolar
NanoSolar 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnWhile talking about Solar tech, we can’t ignore NanoSolar‘s role in this field. They manufacture solar electricity panels for cost-efficient energy.
The technology used by NanoSolar aims to make solar cells that last as long as silicon solar cells. It has operations in both US and Germany.
NanoSolar mass-produces in a global scale, and can thus cater to large projects anywhere in the world. With the rise of sustainable construction in middle eastern and European countries, access to their technology is highly valued.
6. Polyfuel
Polyfuel 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnPolyFuel designs, develops and manufactures hydrocarbon based fuel cells for increased performance of fuel cells in automotives and electronics.
Established back in ’99, PolyFuel’s technology is used in laptops, cell phones and other portable electronic devices manufactured by CE companies.
Because of the abundant availability of the raw material, this is an opportunity for us to move away from traditional fuel sources that are driving the world mad, as it is. This makes Polyfuel a move in the right direction.
7. CPower
CPower 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnCPower delivers energy management services and products enabling its customers to reduce their power usage effectively.
In short, they teach companies and organizations how to reduce their electricity consumption through energy management and sustainability technologies. Their clients include businesses, factories and industries with high rates of energy consumption.
To encourage companies that are not yet running on renewable energy, clean energy is a good step in the right direction. They give incentives to companies to optimize their energy consumption and earn market payments for those reductions.
8. SunPower
SunPower 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnSunPower is another solar product and services company which produces solar cells and panels. It claims to be able to reduce the cost of solar power by 50% bringing them down enough to compete with retail electricity rates by 2012.
The solar cells technology produced by SunPower is used by some high profile companies such as Honda and Nasa. With such clients in their portfolio, they’re bound to create some more stirs in the industry in the years to come.
9. Solar City
Solar City 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnSolar Century also provides solar panels as an alternative source of energy for home owners and businesses. Established in 2006 by brothers Lyndon & Peter Rive, it has become the largest solar power provider in California.
The company aims to make solar panels easy to install at reduced rates so that more and more people switch over from conventional electricity to solar power. Their SolarLease option reduces the installation cost making it an attractive option for customers.
SolarCity has now extended its business into Oregon and Arizona with plans to extend to 10 more states by the end of 2010.
10. First Solar
First Solar 10 Green Tech Companies to Keep an Eye OnSolar Century prides itself in producing technology that lowers the cost of solar power. It builds thin film solar modules and by the end of 2009 will have the capacity to produce 1 GW of solar power.
Established in 1999, the company didn’t start producing commercial products till 2002. It aims to lower the cost of solar power enough to make it comparable with fossil fuel based energy sources. Considering the fact that its per watt cost is already at $0.87, I’d say it’s well on its way to doing that.
Certain nonprofit organizations not only raise awareness and funds for their cause through campaigning, they also use and develop cutting edge technology to help save the world. Here are a few ventures that are using hi-tech solutions for social or environmental causes:
1. InSTEDD
InSTEDD, which stands for Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters, is a nonprofit organization committed to saving lives and reducing suffering through use of innovative technology.
InSTEDD has developed a number of free and open source technologies that can be used by other non profits working towards improving early detection and response to natural calamities. Here are some of their products:
InSTEDD GeoChat A mobile communications service which enables its users to communicate via sms, internet, satellite phone and even twitter. It connects field and local communities with the nonprofits headquarters.
InSTEDDMesh4x designed to share data information over any chosen network. For instance, if a natural calamity hits a region, hospitals can immediately notify the number of beds available for the victims. All the hospitals on that network will then know where to send patients.
InSTEDD Evolve An early detection system of diseases, disasters and emergencies.
2. Africa Aid
Africa Aid runs a program called MDNet, a low-cost, high-impact healthcare initiative which aims to improve communication between health care professionals in Africa. Africa bears over 24% of the global burden of disease, but has only 3% of the global population of health care workers. This means an average of two doctors per 10,000 people, which is by far the lowest physician density in the world.
MDNet creates free mobile phone networks between physicians working in African countries, which improves the transfer of medical knowledge and emergency response, which increases access to healthcare for larger populations of people and ultimately saves more lives.
3. Amazon Conservation Team
The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) works to preserve and protect the rainforests of Amazon. It does so with the collaboration of the local governments and the indigenous people of Amazon.
Using modern technologies, such as Google Earth, GPS, and online mapping tools, ACT enables indigenous tribes to monitor their territories for illegal incursions such as mining, logging, and cattle ranching. Through GPS mapping, the tribes create maps of their ancestral territories which they then use in legal disputes over boundaries and natural resources. A byproduct of this practice is the creation of ethnographic maps, which document the culture & history of the different tribes, from locations where epic battles occurred, to places where medicinal plants can be found.
4. Save The World Technologies
Save The World Technologies is all about saving the forests. However, their approach is a little different. Instead of preserving fast dwindling forests that the world has, they are in the business of reforestation.
They’ve developed Super Kiri Trees” through advanced cloning technology which they plant in an effort to balance the environmental deterioration done by mining.
They plant their forests near coal mines in Australia as they believe that mines do the most damage to the environment. The Super Kiri Tree grows fast, reaching maturity in just seven years and has the highest level of Carbon Dioxide sequestration.
5. Makani Power
Makani means wind or breeze in Hawaiian. Makani Power uses technology to harvest high altitude winds for producing renewable energy. Their aim is to produce renewable energy at a cost that’s cheaper than coal powered energy plants.
High altitude wind is found at a height twice as a high as birds fly. The good thing about it is that it’s present everywhere. High altitude wind produces more energy than wind turbines and is also more dependable.
Makani Power is developing technologies that will enable it to extract high altitude winds for producing cheap renewable energy.
6. Solar Aid
Solar Aid is a UK based charity that aims to combat both climate change and poverty by bringing clean, renewable energy to the poorest people in the world. The organization accomplishes this ambitious goal by setting up DIY solar projects in Sub-saharan Africa, where the need is greatest. Solar Aid trains local communities to build small scale solar devices, such as solar powered radios and lanterns, and helps install small solar systems for community centers, medical clinics, schools and other such communal infrastructure. Solar Aid enables small scale entrepreneurs to set up solar microbusinesses, by providing micro-finance loans to purchase equipment that can be used to build and repair small solar products as well as training in business management. These small scale solar businesses help reduce the community’s dependence on harmful and expensive kerosene, while jumpstarting local entrepreneurship.