From pollution to product: brands recycling for fashion

Would you wear rubbish? To save our planet, we may have to start. We all know the modern mantra “reduce, re-use and recycle”, but the world’s war on waste is still far from over. Australia has the dubious honour of being one of the world’s top producers of garbage and the average Aussie family creates enough waste to completely fill a three-bedroom house every year.

But apart from separating our bottles and boxes, cans and cardboard, what more can we do? There are plenty of easy ways to start making small changes in our lives to help reduce waste – such as changing how we shop.

We discovered some savvy brands working hard towards designing a better, more sustainable future. Who knew such beautiful things could be created from, well, rubbish?

SegraSegra Jackets

Bicycle inner tubes are water and wind resistant. What a great material to use to create stylish windbreaker jackets. SegraSegra (“SisterSister”) is a Prague-based brand founded by sisters Eliska and Dagmar Mertova that repurposes bike tubes to produce leather-style jackets for the modern cyclist.

• segrasegra.com

Grafa Gardening Tools

What happens to all the sheet metal, brass and copper tubing thrown out on Melbourne’s many building sites? If it’s lucky, it is recycled by Travis Blandford and reshaped into elegant, artisanal gardening tools. Handmade in the inner west, Grafa copper tools are as practical as they are pretty. Immune to rust, they help boost the productivity of your soil and act as a natural pest deterrent.

• grafa.com.au

Wishbone Bike

Used carpet. That’s what this super-cool kid’s bike is made from – seriously. This clever New Zealand-based brand creates modern, adjustable balance bikes for little ones, from tinies to talls. It’s made from 100 per cent pre-loved carpet which is shredded, strengthened and shaped into resin pellets ready for moulding into the frame. Converting from a push-trike to a balance bike, this could be a wheely cool Christmas present.

• wishbonedesign.com

Dick Moby Sunglasses

With a four-eyed mission to reduce plastic pollution, Dutch brand Dick Moby creates gorgeous sunglasses from acetate waste. All handmade in Italy, the brand stays true to strong sustainable goals with their accessories too. Glasses cases are crafted from recycled leather. And their microfibre cleaning cloths? You guessed it: recycled, from PET plastic bottles.

• dick-moby.com

Elk Swimwear

Just in time for summer, Melbourne’s own Elk label has released a stunning range of Queensland-made swimwear, offering great fit and durability. Waste products such as fishing nets and rugs are used to create beautiful fabrics, woven with Xtra Life Lycra.

• elkaccessories.com