Upcycling Billboards Into Bags

As ugly as most advertising billboards are, what’s even uglier is that most of them are made out of non-biodegradable vinyl, and that over three million billboards’ worth (that’s 10,000 tons) get thrown into landfills every year. TerraCycle and Yakpak, who will be turning discarded vinyl into durable backpacks and messenger bags. The material happens to lend itself exceptionally well to tough conditions—it was used for the outdoors, after all—and accordingly the bags come with a lifetime warranty. Yakpak is going to great lengths to ensure the manufacture of the bags is ethically sound—they own their own factory in El Salvador powered by a hydro-electric plant, the employees of which are paid fair wages. The Billboard Bags (along with smaller cases, wallets, and totes) come in a variety of eye-catching designs and forms.

[via TreeHugger]