Our 23 Favorite Products Made From Recycled and Upcycled Materials
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A Portable ChargerNimble Champ (Series 2)Read more
An E-ReaderAmazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021, 11th Generation)Read more
For Small Office SpacesHumanscale PathRead more
A Better Water BottleKlean Kanteen Recycled Steel BottlesRead 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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A Portable Charger
Nimble Champ (Series 2)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.)
- 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. 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.
- Photograph: Humanscale
For Small Office Spaces
Humanscale PathHumanscale'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.
- Photograph: Klean Kanteen
A Better Water Bottle
Klean Kanteen Recycled Steel BottlesSwapping 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.
- Photograph: Bearaby
A Weighted Blanket
Bearaby Ocean Hugger Weighted BlanketWeighted 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.
- Photograph: SnugglyCat
A Cat Activity Mat
Snuggly Cat The Ripple RugIf 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.
- Photograph: Victrola
For Listening to Vinyl
Victrola Re-Spin Bluetooth Suitcase Record PlayerVictrola 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.
- Photograph: Revival
Recycled Denim Rug
Revival Recycled Denim RugWhen 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.
- Photograph: Solgaard
A Timepiece
Solgaard Shoreline WatchSolgaard'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.
- Photograph: Amazon
Recycled Buds
House of Marley Redemption Anc 2 True Wireless EarbudsWIRED'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.
- Photograph: Seljak
A Warm Wool Blanket
Seljak Earth BlanketIf 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.
- Photograph: RE:POTS
For Your Plants
Via Citrus Re:Pots Recycled PlantersThese 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.
