Observation: Trash into Treasure
Ground up plastic turned into workout equipment. Ocean bottles turned into shirts. Demolished shoes turned into fully sustainable sneakers time and time again.
What do all of these things have in common? Products that have been reborn from the ashes, literally. These are strong companies with a drive to save the planet and shake up the product design industry as we know it.
In this post we want to dive into some of these companies that are making a difference, and give you ideas on how to turn trash into treasure in your own designs.
Davidson Plyforms
Recycled Plastic Chips
Many of you have probably heard of Davidson Plyforms before, as they are famous for their cutting edge molded plywood technologies. To our surprise, Davidson Plyforms has been branching out to new molding opportunities using unique materials. Over days, months, and years they have collected pounds and pounds of plastic waste, which they have been grinding up into small pieces for special projects. The team discovered that they could take the plastic waste, turn it into a moldable composite to create strong, fully recycled products with it!
They have mostly used this composite to mold internal structures for chairs and other products, but they also had the opportunity to mold plyo boxes for Rogue fitness. Plyo boxes need to be strong - they get kicked all day long - Rogue didn’t seem too worried about the external aesthetics of the boxes, and opted for a fully recycled and unique avenue for their products. The composite plastic created a very unique, sustainable, and quite perfect look for Rogue when all was said and done.
Oshki
Turning plastic waste from the Great Lakes into clothing
Oshki - Shirt made out of plastic from the Great Lakes
Another company local to West Michigan is Oshki. The team was started by local Michiganders looking to clean up our Great Lakes from the pollution that has been steadily growing. Instead of paying into cleanup efforts through a third-party organization, Oshki formed its company to personally go out and clean up the lakes. From the plastic waste that they collect, they are able to create fibers to turn into clothing and other products. Oshki uses 100% United States Waste in their products, the first clothing company to do so. Each year the company owner, Jackson Riegler, organizes at least four cleanups in his hometown of Muskegon MI. It is inspiring to see a company making such a huge effort that hits so close to home.
Adidas
A full-circle sustainable life-style product
Adidas - Futurecraft Loop 100% Recyclable Shoes
Let’s talk about a company that is famous for their high end performance footwear in America, and perhaps even the world. Adidas. Adidas has long been an industry leader in footwear and material innovation - now they are upping their prominence in the sustainability world. This past year, the company launched a shoe that is 100% recyclable and returnable. This shoe, called Futurecraft Loop, uses 100% reusable materials (TPU) and no glue in its construction. This product focuses on the entire life of the product by being created sustainably, having a full live being worn by the consumer, and then being returned and reground into a base material to create a brand new pair of sneakers.
If you have more information on unique recycled product solutions, please comment below!