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oad signs. Typewriter keys. Bicycle inner tubes. Discarded bamboo chopsticks. To many, these raw materials would seem like junk. But not to the artists who have used them to create unique gift items from these recycled materials—and not to the growing


number of retailers who offer, and consumers who purchase, the end products they’re made from. Angela Ringo is the interiors editor for Stylesight, an online


provider of trend forecasts. “Recycled materials are definitely still trending in the gift market as gifts with an artisanal handmade quality really resonate with consumers,” says Ringo. “Repurposed vintage objects instantly read as authentic, and gifts that include secondhand details like covered buttons, grosgrain ribbon, or old fashioned hardware stand out from the onslaught of mass produced objects.” The popularity of green gift items is on the upswing, agrees


Melissa Jurgens, senior project manager with Simply Retail, Inc., in Minneapolis, a company that provides retail consultancy and management services to healthcare organizations. Fortunately, as demand continues to grow, so does the range of items offered by vendors who are taking advantage of a seemingly limitless supply of cast-off items that can become the basis for these recycled works of art.


Recycled’s range Lanette Fidry is the owner of Cycle Dog in Portland, OR. The com- pany makes dog collars from recycled bicycle tubes. Apart from the advantage of saving these materials from the landfill, Fidry says the synthetic rubber provides a great raw material for dog collars—it doesn’t fray or smell and is soft and comfortable. Inner tubes also serve as the basis for products created by English


Retreads in Boulder, CO, where Kate Salomon is business manager. Company owner Heather English founded it when she was looking for a handbag that would meet vegan standards and couldn’t find one that she liked. “[Heather] found that rubber was a fantastic material,” says Salomon. Strong and durable, the purses will almost literally last forever, another boon for sustainability. At TrippworX Design Studio in Greensboro, NC, owner Tripp


Gregson, a self-proclaimed “packrat,” originally focused on “function- al art,” making furniture out of recycled wood salvaged from old hous- es and buildings. Then, in 2006, his use of metal eclipsed wood as he began to create more artistic, somewhat less functional, pieces. TrippworX items include such things as martini glasses and handbags made from recycled road signs. His newest work—the “Fish Out of Water” series, features wall-art metal sculptures made from recycled metal and found materials. Kerry Loeb is the co-owner of Blueberry Green Studios in Fairfax,


CA, which creates designer belts and typewriter jewelry from recycled materials. Loeb assists by taking apart the typewriters and cleaning the keys. His wife then uses them to assemble different types of jewelry


GREENRetailerMag.com Fall 2010 n DUNITZ AND COMPANY GREENRetailer 99 MAPLEXO CYCLE DOG


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