Apr 22, 2023 10:00 AM

Our 20 Favorite Products Made of Recycled and Upcycled Materials

Tread lightly on our planet with toys and accessories made from repurposed plastic, and many other Earth-friendly picks.

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Humans haven't been kind to the planet. Climate change is out of control, and microplastics are poisoning our oceans. But even when we try to reduce our footprint, we still need to wear shoes and clothes and occasionally drive vehicles. So it's important that we all make eco-friendly choices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the spread of plastic waste. Luckily, some companies have figured out how to use that waste to make new products.

Here, we've highlighted some of our favorite companies and products that are making these decisions a little easier. You can buy these items—from portable chargers to yoga mats—knowing that you're doing your part. We also have guides on the best recycled bags, best recycled clothing, and best reusable products.

Updated April 2023: We've added Victrola's Re-Spin record player and the Kindle Paperwhite.

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Photograph: Nimble
A Portable Charger
Nimble Champ
We may love being able to charge our phones on the go, but batteries aren't the best for the environment. Those little guys are full of plastic, chemicals, lithium, cobalt, and other rare metals. But since everyone needs one, Nimble houses its batteries in 72 percent post-consumer plastic. Its packaging is plastic-free too. That's why the Champ is our favorite portable charger.
It's not just environmentally smart, though. It's one of the lightest batteries you'll find, and it can charge two devices at once with its USB-C and USB-A ports. A fully charged pack can juice up your phone for a week before it needs to be plugged in itself.
$47 at Nimble
$50 at Best Buy
Photograph: Amazon
An E-Reader
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation)
Amazon Kindles are our favorite e-readers, and the Paperwhite is the best of the brand's lineup. Sixty percent of the plastic used in the device is recycled, as is 70 percent of the magnesium—magnesium replaces aluminum, making the device lighter. When you're done with it, you can trade it in or send it back to the company to be recycled.
The Paperwhite comes in three editions. The base model has adjustable warm lighting and is available with 8 or 16 gigabytes of storage; the Signature Edition gets 32 gigs of storage and is the only one that can auto-adjust its brightness to your surroundings. Finally, the Kids Edition comes with a case, a two-year warranty, and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
★ More Kindles: The standard Kindle ($100) and Kindle Scribe ($340) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) also use recycled materials in their construction, as do most of the Amazon brand cases.
$140 at Amazon
$190 at Amazon (Signature Edition)
$160 at Amazon (Kids Edition)
Photograph: Klean Kanteen
A Better Water Bottle
Klean Kanteen Recycled Steel Bottles
Swapping out single-use plastic for a reusable water bottle is a big step on its own to reduce waste. Whichever bottle you like to drink out of is the one you should go with. But Klean Kanteen also now makes some of its options from 90 percent recycled stainless steel. Even better? You can put them in the dishwasher.
There are a handful of sizes available already, from a small camp mug ($30) to a 64-ounce bottle ($65), and the company says it hopes that 95 percent of its line will be made from recycled steel by this year. Klean Kanteen is a member of 1% for the Planet and is climate-neutral certified.
Buy at Amazon
$35 at Klean Kanteen (20 ounce)
Photograph: Victrola
For Listening to Vinyl
Victrola Re-Spin Bluetooth Suitcase Record Player
Victrola turntables are great for casual vinyl listeners—it's probably not for the audiophiles or those who own rare records, but I personally love my little suitcase player. Reviews editor Julian Chokkattu loves the Re-Spin, which is made with 25 percent recycled plastic.
If you've run out of record sides to listen to, you can connect your phone to it via Bluetooth and play an endless stream of music.
$100 at Amazon
$100 at Walmart
$100 at Victrola

Photograph: Solgaard
A Timepiece
Solgaard Shoreline Watch
Solgaard's Shoreline collection takes plastic collected from beaches and other waterways to create its material, Shore-Plast. The result is a beautiful, hexagonal 42-millimeter watch face available in six nice colors—I particularly love the Laguna Lilac. The comfortable strap is made from biodegradable silicone. The quartz watch is waterproof down to 165 feet (50 meters), and it comes with a 100-day trial.
For every purchase of its products, Solgaard collects 229 more bottles headed for our oceans and recycles them.
$175 at Solgaard
Photograph: Seljak
A Warm Wool Blanket
Seljak Earth Blanket
The Australian company Seljak makes beautiful blankets out of 100 percent recycled materials—mainly wool and polyester, but the company says 15 percent is other recycled fibers. Even better, each blanket is made from production scraps, so there's little waste. This is a pricey blanket, and it's gotten more expensive since we first tried it, but it's one you can feel good about (while keeping warm).
It's wool, so the blanket has a little grit to it, but I liked using it as an extra layer in bed. It's the perfect material for sitting on at the park or under around a campfire. Seljak donates $5 to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia, for every blanket purchase.
$349 at Seljak
Photograph: Preserve
Recycled Toothbrushes
Preserve Toothbrush
I was initially skeptical about the extreme angle of the Preserve Toothbrush, but it feels more natural than typical straight toothbrushes. It comes in ultra-soft, soft, and medium firmness levels and an array of colors. The handle is made of 100 percent recycled plastics, like yogurt cups, and you can mail in your used brush so it can be recycled again. (You can even pack those old brushes in a used plastic bottle you've been meaning to recycle.)
★ Alternative: The Bogo Toothbrush ($7) is also made of recycled plastics and comes with a stand you can stick to a bathroom counter. Its bristles are soft on gums but felt sufficiently firm when cleaning my teeth and tongue.
$20 at Amazon (6-Pack)

Photograph: Suga
Eco-Friendly Yoga
Suga Mat
Surfers need wet suits to conserve body heat in cold water. So it's unfortunate that those wet suits are made from petroleum-derived products that never break down. Suga—based in Encinitas, California—collects used and damaged wet suits and turns them into dense, comfortable, and attractive yoga mats. As a bonus, the irresistible smell will remind you of the ocean.
$89 at Amazon
$89 at Suga
Photograph: Portland Design Works
For Bikers
Portland Design Works Sodapop Fenders
Bicycle fenders are helpful when you're pedaling through wet or muddy roads to keep that gunk from splashing off your tires and onto you. These ones are made of 97 percent recycled beverage bottles, and there are options for city bikes and mountain bikes. Plus, it's a small company that believes in making sustainable choices and is a member of 1% for the Planet.
$21 at REI
$21 at PDW
Photograph: Freitag
Bags, Bags, Bags
Recycled Bags
We've tested so many recycled bags that we now have a separate guide with all our favorites. These are just two of the ones we've tried.
United by Blue Convertible Carryall for $118: If you want a shoulder tote sometimes and a backpack other times, this carryall converts easily, thanks to straps hidden in a zippered compartment. Nearly the entire bag is made of recycled materials; the interior and exterior are recycled polyester, and recycled nylon is used for the straps and zipper pulls.
Freitag F640 Rollin for $260: Freitag has been using recycled truck tarpaulins to make bags since the 1990s. But its Tarp on PET collection combines truck tarps with material spun from PET plastic bottles. Freitag uses recycled plastic yarn for the inner lining and more flexible parts of the bag. That makes the bag much lighter, while the heavy-duty truck tarps add durability where the bag needs it most. The Rollin is its roll-top shoulder bag, which you can take to work, and it expands to carry your weekly groceries on the way home.

Photograph: Bed of Nails
Relax Your Back
Bed of Nails Eco Acupressure Mat and Pillow
You can get cheaper acupressure mats from Bed of Nails, but the Eco Mat and Pillow are made of sustainable materials like linen—which requires less water to grow than other fabrics—100 percent recyclable high-impact polystyrene, biodegradable coconut fiber filling, and biodegradable buckwheat hull. The tan color is a nice, calming hue compared to the brand's usual bright pink or green.
They'll soothe your sore back and neck after a long day of hunching over a laptop. The round “nails” massage the areas of the body typical acupuncture targets, minus the needles. They're firm, but no, it doesn’t actually feel like you’re lying on nails.
$180 at Bed of Nails
Photograph: Looptworks
A Simple Handmade Wallet
Looptworks Card Sleeve Wallet
Portland, Oregon–based Looptworks intercepts excess materials from other industries on their way to the landfill, upcycling them into backpacks, laptop cases, and apparel. Its simple card-sleeve wallet is made from leather that was once destined to become a motorcycle jacket. It has two pockets, is handmade, and is backed by Looptworks' lifetime guarantee.
$20 at Looptworks
Photograph: Solgaard
A Carry-On Closet
Solgaard Carry-On Closet Plus
WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe likes all Solgaard products, but this one is her favorite. This hard-shell suitcase isn't cheap, but I've taken it on several trips and it still looks as good as new. This version is technically just bigger than domestic limits, but it'll be accepted as a carry-on by 95 percent of airlines. The included optional closet is collapsible and removable, and I also like the integrated TSA lock and USB port.
The best part? Solgaard's products are made with things like recycled bottles. Some are made entirely of ocean plastics. For each product sold, the company removes 5 pounds of plastic from the ocean.
$295 at Solgaard

Photograph: GreenPolly
Eco-Friendly Trash Bags
GreenPolly Trash Bags
WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe tested the GreenPolly Trash Bags for her guide to eco-friendly cleaning products. They're not as durable as traditional trash bags, but their composition of 90 percent post-consumer plastic and 10 percent renewable sugarcane is a worthwhile trade-off.
★ For pet parents: Need poop bags for your pup? Try Give a Shit Compostable Bags ($12). They're made of ethically sourced plant components, and their box is made of 100 percent recycled cardboard. The company donates 10 percent of profits to the Soi Dog Foundation.
$5 at Target (20-Count)
Photograph: Palette
Travel Goop Storage
Palette Original High Fiver
Don't waste money (and plastic) on travel-size versions of products you already have. The High Fiver has five pots that hold 0.17 ounces of liquid, oil, cream, powder, glitter, or any other product you may need to bring with you. There's also a version with a mini spatula to keep it mess-free.
The base that holds all the pots together is made of around 30 percent recycled plastic, and it ships in tubes made of 88 percent post-consumer waste and 100 percent recycled envelopes. The bottom of each pot is squishy, so you can push them up to use every last bit of product in there. Plus, the High Fiver is a female-founded company, and it's produced in the US.
$39 at Palette By Pak
Photograph: Noho
A Comfy Chair
Noho Move chair
Noho’s Move is a surprisingly comfortable chair made from end-of-life carpets and fishing nets removed from the ocean. It looks rigid, but the chair flexes so you can bend, stretch, and lean back. In other words, it lets you move. The design doesn't stick out, mimicking the classic shape of the 1950s Tulip Chair, but it remains an elegant addition to a home. It's also the lightest and easiest piece of furniture I’ve ever put together, with legs that click right in—no tools required. The downside? It's pricey.
$395 at Noho

Photograph: Green Toys
Eco-Friendly Toys
Green Toys
If you have kids, you know that their toys are often cheap plastic junk. Green Toys, though, makes options kids are already interested in, like trucks and boats, but they're constructed using 100 percent recycled plastic—mostly old milk jugs. They're also dishwasher safe and packaged in recycled, recyclable material. I don't think you'll find they cost that much more than your standard kids toys either.
Buy at Green Toys
Buy at Walmart (All Toys)
Photograph: Couch Guitar Straps
Unique Guitar Straps
Couch Guitar Straps
WIRED reviewer Matt Jancer recommends Couch straps, which are made from dead stock—that's material that is unused and in new condition but was made long ago by another company. Couch finds it gathering dust in a warehouse, buys it, and turns it into guitar straps, camera straps, belts, wallets, handbags, sunglasses cases, and more.
The product line is always changing and has included Army truck seat belts, upholstery intended for 1970s VW Beetles, and trippy patterned cloth once destined for 1960s furniture. Everything is vegan and handmade by eight people in a California workshop. You’ve seen Couch stuff on Queen’s Brian May, Beyoncé, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Carrie Brownstein, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, the Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Sammy Hagar, and … well, a lot of other performers.
Buy at Etsy
Photograph: Elate Cosmetics
Makeup Without Waste
Elate Cosmetics Creme Revealer Concealer
Elate Cosmetics wants to make the beauty industry less wasteful. It promotes the idea of capsule collections, meaning your makeup kit is simplified to the handful of items you’ll actually use—think Marie Kondo-ing your makeup bag. All of Elate’s products are packaged sustainably (75 percent waste-free, according to the company), and nothing is ever tested on animals.
My favorite is the concealer. Packaging has changed slightly since I tried it, but single products come in a recyclable aluminum tin and a recyclable (or compostable!) case made from bagasse, a material from sugarcane pulp. You should get a magnetic palette to fit the tins into, and this brand offers Perfectly Imperfect ones with minor flaws that sell for a discount rather than being tossed away.
$21 at Elate Cosmetics

Photograph: Qalo
A Compostable Wedding Ring
Qalo x Pela Compostable Rings
Qalo makes several styles of silicone rings, and the brand teamed up with compostable phone case brand Pela to create these plant-based options. The result is a supremely comfortable and thin band that looks good too—I don't normally like the way silicone bands look or feel, but I felt totally different about these ones. However, it runs small. I usually wear a size nine, but I could have used a bigger one here. Definitely consult the size chart, and there's a 30-day refund window if necessary.
While it isn't technically a recycled product, it is a product that will break down if you compost it correctly. If you were already leaning toward silicone over a traditional metal band, we think it's worth considering. The bioplastic used produces 65 percent less waste and uses 35 percent less water than traditional plastic, and produces 25 percent less carbon-dioxide-equivalent (that's the emissions of carbon dioxide and all the other gases, like methane).
$30 at Qalo (Women's Sizes)
$30 at Qalo (Men's Sizes)

Adrienne So is a senior associate reviews editor for WIRED, where she reviews consumer technology. She graduated from the University of Virginia with bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish, and she previously worked as a freelance writer for Cool Hunting, Paste, Slate, and other publications. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Senior Associate Reviews Editor

Medea Giordano turned her shopping problem into a career as a product writer for WIRED. She covers a little bit of everything but loves health, beauty, and pet tech. Prior to WIRED, she was an assistant editor at Wirecutter and an assistant in the newsroom of The New York Times.... Read more

Writer and Reviewer