To celebrate World Environment Day, we have put together a collection of products that have been transformed from one man’s trash into another man’s treasure.
Around 30 million tonnes of household waste is generated in the UK every year. But a growing movement of entrepreneurial eco-warriors is using creative manufacturing processes to craft beautiful items out of material that could otherwise have ended up in incinerators, landfill, or the oceans.
Like us, they believe that when it comes to overcoming environmental challenges there is no time to waste!
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WASTE GLASS BOTTLE CANDLES
The creator of Wax + Wick Workshop, Nicole, found a UK manufacturer that would contribute to the circular economy by melting down and reforming old glass bottles into new candle jars. But she didn’t stop there. Water usage and waste is often a problem with recycling glass bottles. So they used a closed-loop water system, meaning that any water used gets cleaned and used again and again.
Their hand-poured candles are made from natural materials and ingredients that are sourced from UK suppliers and come in five gorgeous scents.
£25 Shop here
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DOUBLE WASTE PLASTIC BOTTLE SCRUNCHIES
Jasmiin The Label is a sustainable clothing brand with a passion for minimising waste. Their first collection consists of pieces made from U-Circular silk (a fabric created from 100% recycled plastic and certified by the Global Recycling Standard). This innovative material feels just like silk, is fast drying and crease-resistant. The scrap pieces of fabric are then saved and up-cycled into these incredibly soft scrunchies.
£12 Shop here
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WASTE FLOWER BOUQUETS
Emily, the founder at Design by Nature, noticed a huge quantity of perfectly good flowers being discarded after events and decided to do something about it. She now rescues these unwanted flowers and dries them in her studio in East London. Once fully dried these are turned into beautiful bouquets.
Medium £55 Shop here
Large £65 Shop here
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WASTE COFFEE CUP NOTEBOOKS
Matere Studio focuses on the use of plastic-free and fully recyclable papers and packaging when creating beautifully formed, practical stationery that is a joy to interact with. Post-consumer waste materials, responsibly sourced, traceable papers and recycled leather offcuts retrieved from tanneries are among the materials chosen.
These lay flat notebooks feature two softcover designs that use cover paper formed using recycled coffee cups from a specialist zero-waste separation process.
£25 Shop here
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WASTE COFFEE HUSK COFFEE CUPS
Coffee husk is an organic waste material that's produced at the milling stage of coffee production. Huskee helps to recycle some of the hundreds of tonnes of waste material from the production of coffee into these excellent coffee cups for cafes, home users, and coffee drinkers on the go.
The material is a great insulator, helping keep coffee hot for longer whilst remaining comfortable to hold and cool to touch. The cups are durable, dishwasher friendly and Non-toxic (BPA free).
£17 Shop here
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WASTE BOTTLE DRINKING GLASSES
These limited edition, imperfectly unique glasses from Ssalg are made out of old waste bottles. The bottles were repurposed into two beautiful rich amber tall drinking glasses by hand in South London.
Keep an eye out for new sets, as each glass is hand-cut and sanded and all bottles have been donated by, the founder, Ellie’s neighbours and local community.
£12 Shop here
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WASTE WOOD SPEAKERS
And, for a special treat: Concept Object’s limited-edition iconic Hexagon Speakers are handcrafted from reclaimed materials, reimagined and refined to create a sonically simple shape that emits sound to transform your space.
These unique speakers use upcycled timber from packaging and events exhibitions – and pack an impressive punch. The designers reclaimed JBL tweeters/Bass driver crossover from a top of the range Control 47LP from a premium retailer restoring them to their full potential.
£300 Shop here