Category: upcycling

• SOLE REBELS

  

  This company creates shoes using upcycled tires and uses traditional artisan techniques to create comfortable shoes while providing fair wages and empowering local communities.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  December 17, 2025

  Africa, ethiopia, fashion, shoes, upcycling

  circular shoes, ethiopia, sustainable fashion, sustainable shoes, tire upcycling, upcycling

• COCOPLUM

  

  This company upcycles used prescription bottles into frames for sunglasses

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  August 26, 2025

  beauty, california, consumer product, fashion, plastic diversion, plastic waste, prescription bottles, recycle, upcycling, USA

  beauty, fashion, plasticrecycling, upcycledplastic, upcycling

• NATURLOOP

  

  This company is creating durable biomaterials to replace the use of woods for furniture and the construction industry from coconut husk fibers.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  August 4, 2025

  agricultural waste, Asia, Biodegradable, coconut waste, construction material, Europe, furniture, new material, philippines, switzerland, upcycling

  cocoboard, coconut upcycling, coconut waste, eco-friendly, food, lifestyle, mdfalternative, sustainability, sustainable-living, upcycling, zero waste

• MALAI ECO

  

  This company is creating biomaterials to replace the use of animal leather using bacterial cellulose grown on waste coconut water from the coconut processing industry.  

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  June 10, 2025

  Asia, coconut waste, Compostable, food waste, india, leather alternative, new material, textiles, upcycling

  coconut upcycling, coconut waste, coconut water, eco-friendly, India, kerala, leather alternative, lifestyle, sustainability, sustainable-living, upcycling, zero waste

• NUDE FOODS MARKET

  

  This company is a zero-waste grocery store, that provides staple grocery store items in reusable containers (not to be confused with a bulk store!) . 

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 23, 2025

  cleaning for reuse, colorado, glass, groceries, package-free, packaging, Re-use, refill, reusable containers for food services, reusable packaging, USA

  closed loop reuse, eco-friendly, reduce, reuse, reuse infrastructure, sustainable grocery store, sustainable-living, zero waste, zerowaste, zerowaste grocery store

• REVINO

  

  This company is creating a closed-loop system for reusable glass wine bottles, by providing and end-to-end refillable bottle solution

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 8, 2025

  cleaning for reuse, glass, oregon, Re-use, refill, reusable containers for food services, USA, wine

  closed loop reuse, oregon, refillable wine bottles, reuse, reuse infrastructure, revino

• MATTER OF TRUST

  

  This nonprofit repurposes human hair, pet hair, fleece and other materials to clean up oil spills in the oceans

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 2, 2025

  california, coastal restoration, conservation, habitat restoration, hair, nonprofit, oil spills, upcycling, USA, waste solutions

  conservation, donate hair, habitat restoration, hair, human hair, human hair mats, oil spills

• UPCIRCLE

  

  This company upcycles natural by-products into vegan beauty products, thereby keeping useful ingredients from landfills.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  April 15, 2025

  agricultural waste, Avocado pit, B corp, beauty, Europe, food upcycling, food waste, olive pits, online marketplace, refill, spent coffee, take back, UK, upcycling

  beauty, coffee, olive pits, refill, skincare, stone fruit pits, takeback, UK, upcycling

• MYRO

  

  This company is offering personal hygiene products in reusable containers.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 15, 2024

  california, new york, personal hygiene, Re-use, refill, reusable packaging, USA, wood waste

  personal care, personal hygiene, refillable, reusable packaging

• URBAN MACHINE

  

  This company is utilizing AI to make lumber waste more easily reused for reclaimed wood purposes.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 7, 2024

  artificial intelligence, california, construction material, reclaimed wood, robotics, upcycling, USA, wood waste

  artificial intelligence, reclaimed wood, robotics, upcycle, wood waste