more uses for butts...

chinese researches have found that the 9 chemicals found in used cigarette butts can be used to  strengthen and reduce corrosion in steel....this is a great way to utalise the estimated 4.5trillion butts that are tossed into the environment each year. click on the butt image to find out the nitty gritty details...

what!!...cigarette butts are good for something?...

          

      

Chilean designer Alexandra Guerrero has created a use for yucky old cigarette butts. She has devised a way of turning these prolific waste items into a fibre that can then be utalised to make wearable knitted items. The fibre is made up of 10% cigarette butts and 90% wool. Click on the images to find out more....

haute rubbish...

UK based designer, Katcha Bilekuks latest collection utalizes used tyre inner tubes and create a range of fashion accessories. Katchas label 're-collect' is available to buy online, she also runs a series of instructional workshops that teach people about making 'stuff 'out of rubbish and pre-loved materials....maybe one day when a load of a load of old rubbish is all grown up, it will be able to do a similar thing with its projects!

Check out the re-collect site for more designs and info http://re-collect.net

the 'green', green house...

This 'Green' Greenhouse was created by French Architect Sebastien Ramirez. The Structure entitled La Serre, is constructed from wood scraps and used cars windshields and was built with little to no budget. The piece has an interesting aesthetic but is a great example of design that performs its function and utilizes materials that were readily available and were otherwise going to waste. Visit http://www.greendiary.com/entry/la-serre-zero-budget-greenhouse-made-from-reclaimed-objects/ for more info.

the art of rubbish...

Real Life is Rubbish, 2002

White Trash (with gulls)

British based artists Tim Noble and Susan Webster use rubbish to create incredible shadow art that can take up to 6 months to create. I cant figure out how they do it, all I know is that I couldn't!

piet hein eek...

I just love this use of reclaimed wood...check out his website and book, they illustrate brilliant examples of re-use that functions...
visit www.pietheineek.nl

from little things big things grow...

Inuk designs is a Western Australian based childrens label that utilises pre-loved fabrics to create cute, unique characters on childrens clothing...its a small step at upcycling, but from little things big things grow! view inuks range at www.inukdesigns.com

lost a leg? just get a new one...

The RCO chair (Re-use, Componant Optimizer Chair) from Mental Design means that when a chair leg breaks you just add a new one, extending the lifecycle of poor 3 or less legged chairs everywhere!

a boat of old rubbish...

Check out this for a great use for a load of old rubbish... Plastiki's hull is made up of 12,500 plastic bottles,  that is about how many bottles are consumed in the US every 8.3 seconds, imagine how many are consumed world wide...
The Plastiki set sail from San Fransico on March 19 2010, the final destination is Sydney, Australia...keep updated on the journey at www.theplastiki.com

this is where is all begins...

Whooo hooo finally I have got this all underway!...I am looking forward to sharing with you all the exciting upcycling ideas I have been discovering!