repurposed
Reclaimed and Repurposed Automobile Furniture – Oxyd Factory
I love the idea of re-purposing discarded trash into art and functional pieces, just as Oxyd Factory has done with junked automobiles. The idea of repurposing and upcycling is a common topic here on The Chic Ecologist, primarily because I love the creativity and reduced environmental impact born out of the transformation. You may have seen other recycled automobile tables and even recycled aircraft furniture here, but I was really drawn to the uniqueness of Oxyd Factory designs.
Seattle Mattress Disposal Recycling
If you live in Seattle, Washington, and have a bed mattress that needs replacing or disposal, you are in luck! Seattle’s Green mattress disposal company Bed Be Gone is the best (and most eco-friendly) way to get rid of your old mattress.
While most places dispose of bed mattresses in a landfill, Bed Be Gone actually disassembles them and re-purposes or recycles most of the materials in a green way. See how they do it in the video below!
“By disposing of your mattresses with Bed Be Gone, you are not only helping our environment, but also boosting our local economy. That’s right, we recycle and re-purpose as many materials from your mattress as possible (up to 90%) to keep things out of the landfill and cut down on pollution.”
Release, React, Recycle
This is awesome! 
There are many ways to alleviate anger and frustration and many ways to recycle. Combine them and you get Glassphemy! I a new project in New York by the creative David Belt to encourage fun recycling. Glassphemy! Is a 20ft by 30ft clear box with high walls of bulletproof glass in Brooklyn. At one end of the box, people stand and throw glass bottles at people on the other side. Guests can aim at their friends for a little extra fun, and even a way to get rid of aggression! This is a great example of repurposing!
“Recycling’s so boring,” said Belt “We tried to make it a little bit more exciting.” Last summer David Belt created another fun recycling project – the dumpster pool! Belt transformed an industrial lot into a lo-fi country club with cabanas, barbecues, photo shoots, and dumpster swimming for under $1000. › Continue reading
Recycled Airline Seat Cover Bags – Tierra Idea
We have profiled several companies making bags from recycled materials here. You have bags from recycled juice boxes, recycled firehoses, and recycled bags, but here is a new twist I didn’t see coming- bags made from recycled (or repurposed) airline seat covers.
Its crazy to think of all the things that eventually get thrown away, and believe me, airline seat covers were not on my radar. So far, Delta has donated 5,873 pounds of fabric from an estimated 20,000 aircraft seat covers to Tierra Ideas for their varied bag creations. Incorporating recycled bicycle and tractor innertubes and an auto seat belt as the shoulder strap, these bags are truly › Continue reading
High Flying Recycled Retro Furniture
Vintage planes are like vintage automobiles, they have a certain class and distinct style about them. Some people like them, and some people love them. I personally love all the polished aluminum, patterned rivets and sleek forms of the aircraft from the past- back when you used to wear a suit on the plane and they used to fly to places like Havana.
MotoArt brings that feeling right into to your living room, bedroom or office with their vintage aircraft furniture. Sourced from actual pieces of aircraft history, each design incorporates a meticulously cleaned and polished piece of and truly unique vintage plane. More than recycled or reused, these pieces are re-fashioned to accentuate their beauty and design.
Most pieces are modernized into desks, beds and office components- a meld of vintage technology with modern technology into a wondrous work of art. If automotive is more your thing, you may want to check out these vintage car furniture designs.
ECO Recycled Countertops by Cosentino
Consisting of 75% recycled content from post-industrial or post-consumer materials and held together by an environmentally friendly corn-oil resin, ECO by Cosentino countertops will keep your kitchen green. Similar to the Vetrazzo Recycled Glass Countertops, ECO is made up of recycled glass and mirror, but also includes porcelain, crystallized ash and stone scraps from regulated quarries under strict stewardship programs.
The countertops are produced in an environmentally friendly way as well, with 94% of the water used in manufacturing being recycled, thus minimizing the consumption of a very important resource. All of the minerals used in the production of ECO by Cosentino come from quarries that are fully restored and the manufacturing process is strictly controlled to avoid emissions of any harmful particles into the air.
LiT Lampshades – Promoting Green Home Design
Lampshades are not usually something you think of when designing green, and it is really hard to find environmentally friendly shades. Most shades have a plastic styrene backing which in no way is biodegradable. They are then coated with toxic glue then the fabric. Let’s think what happens when this glue gets hot,….toxic glue….hot light bulb….your baby’s room….hum? None too good for the earth, and on the aesthetic side- most plastic based shades are ugly, thus none too good for your decor.
LiT, a not only local but green designer lampshade company (based in Seattle, Washington), is taking a stand against ugly toxic shades by making their shades earth friendly through careful consideration in the materials used in producing LiTshades. Instead of plastic owner Dawn Bassett uses only paper backing. The backing is laminated using water based, non-toxic adhesive and then the reclaimed, recycled or re-purposed fabrics and papers give the shades their final touch. She also insists on only using natural fiber textiles like silks and cottons.
Dawn makes all her shades by hand, usually sitting quietly or rocking out to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in her shop. Her shades are not mass produced in Vietnam, Indonesia, or China in large crazy factories by little kids for two cents a day.
› Continue reading
Rock Star Recycle – Guitar String Bracelets for Charity
A great reader recommendation from Lauren, WearYourMusic.org has come up with a great way to donate to charitable organizations, recycle, and give music fans a real keepsake.
Each guitar string bracelet is handcrafted from recycled fine silver and used guitar strings from your favorite artist. The bracelets can be ordered as slip-over bangles, or you can have a custom clasp added for a more snug fit. The guitar bracelets are packaged in recycled DVD cases with certificates of authenticity so you can prove that they are from the artist of your choosing. It appears that they are adding new artists all the time, so there is a good chance your faves are already listed.
