Recycled Market Brings Life To Old Junk

I love it when people find interesting and innovative uses for old materials and there is an abundance of this on a new-ish international marketplace for recycled and upcycled items. Recycled Market allows sellers to promote their wares to buyers who are interested in purchasing recycled items and you’d be amazed at the range of things on sale.

From things for the home made of recycled or reclaimed rubbish to eco bags made out of old fish feed sacks and crafted in Cambodia, you can find a plethora of things to buy and some of these items would make fantastic ethical gifts too.

Here are some of my favourites.

Vinyl Clocks

Whether these are hand cut or machine cut I don’t know but you have to admire the finished product for its style. Made out of genuine old vinyl records (of which there are no doubt millions lying around peoples’ homes), I would quite happily put one of these clocks up on my wall at home and while there are many designs available, I did of course chose the London skyline as my pick of the bunch.

Cassette Tape Lamp

I absolutely love funky lamps and I’m even considering buying this one for my flat. Continuing along the musical theme, this lamp is made out of cassette tapes firmly tied together and I think it’s modern and cool beyond words. I love the way the light filters through the tapes but think it looks equally as good switched off.

Watch Movement Cufflinks

I really like the mechanical look of these cufflinks that have utilised the beautifully crafted movements from old watches. Breathing life into such components not only saves them from landfill but also lowers the need for mining new metals from the Earth. These would grace any dinner party or black tie event with ease and certainly make for interesting conversation starters.

Vintage Prom Dress

I’m no expert when it comes to women’s fashion but I am a big fan of reusing vintage clothing in the modern day. When you look at the time, effort and raw materials that some of these pieces of clothing required in their making, it only seems right that they get used again and again. The dress I’ve picked could have quite easily have ended up in landfill or been used for rags but instead it is here ready to be enjoyed by a new owner and that ticks a lot of green boxes in my opinion.

Beer Cap Earrings

I couldn’t finish without giving a quick nod in the direction of these amazing earrings that have been made by flattening the caps from bottled beer and adding a couple of wooden beads. Sure they may be small but any reduction in raw materials being mined is a plus and I think they look pretty cool.

What are some of your favourite recycled/upcycled items on this site? Leave a comment and let me know.

Steve (156 Posts)

I am chief writer and editor on Green Steve. Blogging since 2011, I like to delve into a wide number of topics to help people reduce their carbon footprint. You should follow me on Twitter here. And add me to your Google+ circles here.

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