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Oct 15, 2024

23 Everyday Products Made From Recycled Materials (2024): Chargers, Watches, Toys | WIRED

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Humans haven't been kind to the planet. Climate change is out of control, microplastics are poisoning our oceans,

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Humans haven't been kind to the planet. Climate change is out of control, microplastics are poisoning our oceans, and landfills are overflowing with trash. No matter how much we try to reduce our footprint, we still occasionally need new things. Luckily, some companies have figured out how to reuse waste to make new products from old plastic, textiles, and other materials that would otherwise fill our landfills and oceans. We've highlighted our favorites here.

It's not a perfect sustainability solution, but if you already need a new portable charger or yoga mat, for example, you can buy one of these items knowing that it's a little better than the alternative. Check out our other eco-friendly guides, like the Best Recycled Bags, Best Recycled Clothing, Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies, and Best Reusable Products.

Updated April 2024: We've added the new Nimble Champ portable charger, Humanscale's Path chair, Bearaby's Ocean Hugger weighted blanket, Revival's denim rug, House of Marley's Redemption 2 ANC headphones, Keiko Furoshiki gift wrap, and the new recycled MakeUp Eraser.

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Charging a phone on the go can be a lifesaver, but batteries aren't great for the environment because of how they're manufactured and disposed of. They're full of plastic, chemicals, lithium, cobalt, and other rare metals. Good news! Nimble makes our favorite portable charger using recycled materials. We've recommended the Champ charger for years and the newer Series 2 is made with 90 percent post-consumer plastic—even more than the original.

It's not just environmentally smart though. It's one of the lightest portable chargers you'll find, and it can recharge two devices at once with its USB-C ports on either end. There are three sizes to choose from, each with a different capacity and wattage output, from 15 watts with the small to 65 watts with the large. (The latter is enough to top up a laptop.)

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. If you ever want to get rid of one (maybe an older model), 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 GB of storage; the Signature Edition gets 32 GB 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), which includes a stylus, also use recycled materials in their construction, as do most of the Amazon brand cases.

Humanscale's Path chair uses 53 percent recycled materials in its construction, including nearly 10 pounds of ocean-bound plastic like fishing nets and 68 plastic bottles per chair. Humanscale also works to be climate-positive—for example, it uses 100 percent collected rainwater for manufacturing.

The Path is our pick for small spaces because it's just 20 inches wide and 21 inches deep, and you can forgo arms altogether. It doesn't skimp on comfort, so you won't suffer just because your workspace is limited. If you have a larger room, we also like Humanscale's Freedom Headrest chair. It's not made from recycled materials, but it is one of the company's net positive offerings.

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 bottles 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.

Weighted blankets use pressure to simulate the feeling of being gently held. I love relaxing under one, whether I'm watching TV on the couch or sleeping in bed. Bearaby makes our favorite weighted blanket, and this new one is made from ocean-bound plastic. Each blanket recycles 600 plastic bottles!

We like Bearaby's open-knit design because it looks pretty wherever it's resting and also allows airflow. The last thing you want is a hot flash under 20 pounds of material; this one is cool to the touch. Open-knit blankets also don't use hundreds of tiny beads to create the weight, so there's no risk of accidentally ripping the blanket and letting them loose onto your floors.

If you have cats, you're probably used to buying them toys just for them to sit ignored. I expected that here, but my three felines are obsessed with the Ripple Rug. The bottom piece stays in place while the top can be configured and reconfigured into different shapes for hunting and playing, with holes throughout to stick their heads and paws through. The material is durable, so cats can scratch and bite at it and it won't shred to pieces—and our newest cat, Donny, loves to try. It feels like felt carpet, but it's made from 24 post-consumer plastic bottles (and is made in the US!). I also love that the company calls out counterfeiters with a Hall of Shame.

Use this link to purchase the Ripple Rug and the company will donate $3 to St. Cats and Dogs, a nonprofit that helps to spay and neuter cats to reduce overpopulation. They also help get cats adopted (they're a small group from my hometown, which has a high stray cat population that is often treated poorly). Snuggly Cat is headed by two cat parents who frequently donate their product to shelters, which I appreciate. If you'd prefer to skip the donation, you can use this link or the buy button below.

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. WIRED 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 via Bluetooth and play an endless stream of music. Read our Best Turntables guide for other recommendations.

When jeans die, where do they go? Usually a landfill, but in this case, they become a beautiful area rug—a 5-by-8-feet rug equals about 10 to 12 recycled pairs of jeans. Revival's denim line includes a few cool patterns, and they're not uber expensive like some rugs can be. I tried the Lee, which has a nicely understated checkered pattern. (It has a cool contrast but isn't quite 2007 emo.)

They're durable and easy to clean, thanks to the denim construction. You can throw them right in the washing machine and hang them to dry, but if you're choosing a size larger than 6 by 9 feet, the company recommends using a 60-pound washing machine typically found at a laundromat. Spot cleaning was easy enough for me.

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.

WIRED's resident headphone expert, Parker Hall, says the Redemption 2 are decent active noise-canceling headphones, and they're made with recycled plastic and sustainable bamboo. They're water- and sweat-resistant, so while you can't swim in them, sweaty workouts are no issue. You'll get six hours of battery life and 24 with the case. They support wireless charging, and if you use the USB-C cord, you can activate quick charge mode, getting two hours of listening time from 15 minutes of charging. House of Marley is run by Bob Marley's family and we generally like the brand, including its Stir It Up Lux Turntable.

If you don't care for weighted blankets, you might prefer this. The Australian company Seljak makes beautiful blankets from recycled materials—mainly wool and polyester, but the company says 15 percent is other recycled fibers. Each blanket is made from production scraps, so there's little waste. We tested the Earth blanket that is no longer available, but there are several other models. Sadly, the company is closing up shop, so everything is final sale (with no returns) until stock lasts.

It's wool, so the blanket has a little grit feel, but I like using it as an extra layer in bed. It's the perfect material for the park or around a campfire. Seljak donates $5 to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia, for every blanket purchase.

These indoor/outdoor planters are made from 100 percent recycled materials. They're light but sturdy, and the colors are beautiful. Each one comes in two sizes. The Maritime Plastic Planter pot uses plastic from end-of-life gear like fishing nets and rope, and the Denim Planter pot comes from 30 percent textile thread waste and 70 percent recycled polypropylene plastic—the plastic pellets are mixed with denim threads to create the marblelike design.

Furoshiki are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths. These are from a small, women-owned business and are made with stain-resistant recycled polyester. They're one of our favorite reusable products.

The wraps come in pretty patterns designed by the owner, Keiko Kira, and are a large 25 by 25 inches. They're meant to be used as gift wrap that your giftee can then use as an accessory or to gift to someone else, hopefully creating a chain of responsible regifting. They can also hold your lunch when you head to the park or office, or for anything else you need to wrap up. Check out the different ways to tie them. And if you plan to gift with them, use the printable tag with a QR code so your giftee knows what to do.

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 several 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.)

★ 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 my gums but feel sufficiently firm when cleaning my teeth and tongue.

I love the original MakeUp Eraser. Just add water and gently swipe across your face to remove makeup, no harsh ingredients needed. This version is made from 100 percent recycled fibers, sourced from plastic bottles and other textile waste. My original might just be old, but this feels even softer.

Because you can toss it in the washing machine, it's infinitely reusable (or, at least, should last around five years) which means it replaces disposable wipes, which aren't recommended anyway. It comes in three sizes: the large Pro, a mini Pro, or a set of seven rounds so you can use a new one each day.

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.

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.

We've tested so many recycled bags that we now have a separate guide with all our favorites. These are just two of the many we have tested.

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 with typical acupuncture targets, minus the needles. They're firm, but no, it doesn’t feel like you’re lying on nails.

WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe likes all Solgaard products, but this one is her favorite. This hard-shell suitcase isn't cheap, but she's 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 we also like the integrated TSA lock and USB port.

The best part? Solgaard's products are made with recycled materials like plastic bottles. Some are made entirely of ocean plastics. For each product sold, the company removes 5 pounds of plastic from the ocean.

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 and has risen since we first tried it.

If you have kids, you know that their toys are often cheap plastic junk. Green Toys makes products 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 kid's toys either.

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.

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