Photo: yalayama (Getty)
It’s a new year so, of course, you assume it’s a new you, yet you’ll probably wake up in the same old rags and continue to pollute the Earth. But what if this year you joined these eco-friendly brands that are recycling plastic pollution into awesome apparel but also quit dressing like your father at the same time?
From eco-athletic wear like yoga pants and running shoes to waste-to-wear body warmers like fleeces and hiking jackets all the way to plastic-recycled pet collars, there are few body parts untouched by eco-friendly and positively repurposed pollution, if you’re willing to look. Since we know the new year won’t remove laziness entirely, we thought we’d deliver some of the awesome apparel and clever clothing lines being made from yesterday’s trash.
This is not to say that it’s alright to continue behaving like an animal, but in a world filled with non-disposable landfills, floating plastic islands and a president who supposedly puts down a dozen cans of Diet Coke, we can make a bit of a dent in the trash we already have, if we buy with eco-minded wallets.
These Eco-Friendly Brands Are Recycling Plastic Pollution Into Awesome Apparel
Other news on recycling stretchable material: The Rubber Finally Hits the Road As Netflix Debuts The Long-Awaited Return of Stretch Armstrong
Recycled Clothing
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Seapia Regenerated Bikinis
Photo: via seapia.com.au
The Australian-based eco-kini line, Seapia, regenerates lycra from post-use plastics to give a stretchy, durable fit to those Aussie bums.
OceanZen is another sustainable swimwear line with a reputation for making environmentalism extra sexy.
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Ecoalf Fish Net Coats
Photo: YouTube
Ecoalf has gone beyond just post-use plastics and effectively recycled fish nets, cotton, coffee, tires and wool to make all kinds of sustainable clothing.
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Bionic Yarn Ocean Recycled Denim
Photo: via motmag.com
With a creative director like Pharrell, you're going to get some innovation that's as unique as it is desired, especially when he teamed up with G-Raw to create denim out of recycled ocean trash. Bionic, the New York-based startup, has recycled more than 7 million plastic bottles into fashionable clothing, which is quite the fashion statement in and of itself.
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Adidas Ocean Plastic Shoes
Photo: via sciencealert.com
The shoes aren’t inspired by the ocean, just in color scheme, but the actual guys of them are made from oceanic pollution fish would otherwise be wearing.
Adidas has made multiple pairs and several other efforts involving plastic pollution to reduce their negative effects on the environment and inspire other big brands to join the cause.
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Teeki Yoga Pants
Photo: Teeki Instagram
There is unlikely to be a more attractive waste-to-wear eco-activewear than yoga pants made of recycled plastics. Teeki just happens to be one of the best in that business. Just ask this plastic-free mermaid, Kate Nelson, who wears them better than anyone while supporting a daily plastic-absent lifestyle.
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Patagonia Coats
Photo: via earth911.com
A pioneer to recycling soda bottles since the early '90s, Patagonia has repurposed polyester and transformed trash into fleece for more than 20 years now.
Everybody needs a little Patagonia in their lives, be it the clothing or location.
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Lupine Eco-Friendly Pet Products
Photo: via lupinepet.com
A warm palette of pet collars, leashes and harnesses are part of Lupine's pet eco-collection, which guarantees its two-weave product 100 percent, should your pet chew through, giving you a new one (which was likely made from recycled chewed-through collars).
I found these guys in my local pet store on a whim, and I have to say they're tops when it comes to durable, eco-friendly plastic recycling for pets. Or you can use them for your weird BDSM fetish.
