Top 8 of our Favorite Bags Made of Recycled Materials in 2022

We wanted to highlight a few of the examples that we had our eyes on while we where creating our line of tote bags created from recycled Canadian billboards! The fun part for us was to see if we could source everything, but especially the billboards right here in Canada, so it was also really neat to see how over companies had worked with what they had in their own backyard! Examples of some totes, backpacks, shopping bags and more! These are all made from recycled ‘end of life’ truck tarps, old sails, fishnets, and plastic bottles and billboards. So lets take a look:

#1 United by Blue – Deadstock (R)evolution bags

Using their deadstock fabric that was already originally made from recycled plastic bottles, their Deadstock (R)evolution™ Bags are putting what some would concider old trash to use.

UBB’s Associate Accessories Designer, Hannah – “Deadstock is basically extra fabric left over from previous seasons. Since we work on a slow fashion timeline, there are a lot of predictions that need to be made regarding how much material to buy, and it’s impossible to get it right every time. Instead of letting our deadstock fabric go to waste, we turn it into new bags.”

#2 Rareform – Weekender Duffle Bag

Co-founder Alec Avedissian – “Today, we reuse over 80% of the billboards you see in major cities and highways across the US to make one-of-a-kind everyday accessories (no need to be a surfer to wear them).”

Pack up and go with the Weekender Duffle. This classic shape holds a few days worth of essentials comfortably, making it the perfect carry-on or overnight bag. It also does double duty for the gym which is why I loved the look of it right away. I always had a gym bag in this style growing up with a big 7-Up logo on the side :).

#3 Freitag – Messenger

I’ve loved Fritags bags for a long time now from afar as they hail from Zurich. All of their bags are made using old truck tarps. Made of heavy-duty tarp these bags can take some major wear, so that’s why their prices are a little higher end. Luckily you probably won’t need a new one any time soon! Also for every bag they sell you get to choose from tuns of color choices!

#4 Fjällräven – Laptop Case

I’ve literally had an old hanging tags from a bag of theirs that I bought years ago, just to reminded me of how much I liked everything about their bags but also their clean designs, great logo and even the tags where so well designed.

Fjällräven Kånken is made from hard-wearing Vinylon F that together with timeless design creates the perfect conditions for unfailing reliability and daily use, for many, many years to come. That’s sustainability through longevity.

#5 Patagonia – Refugio Pack

Patagonia is with out question the leader when it comes to putting it’s money where it’s mouth is and choosing to put the enviroment first. Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Mr. Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization.

They create amazing products using recycled materials like this classic everyday backpack, but they also have a lifetime warranty and stand behind their products and will fix anything you have an issue with.

#6 Eco Equitable – Flagbarer Products

From right here in Ottawa EcoEquitable was founded as a women run co-op and has evolved over the years. One of the neat things that they have done as a side project is their Flagbarer Project. “Each made with upcycled Ottawa area flags that represent our rich history – from commemorative flags such as the 100 year anniversary of suffrage, 50 years of our Canadian flag to provincial flowers and animals.  Each is unique.  The Flagbarer line is designed, sewn and shipped out of our Ottawa headquarters.”

#7 Parks Project – What Goes Around Upcycled Tote Bag

Hand made by Christina Johnson and her team, this upcycled tote bag is made from windbreaker jackets and cotton canvas, making each tote unique in color and patchwork. These are a great way to add your support behind the national parks across the US!

#8 Looptworks – Tote bags

These upcycled from kite sail ripstop are a great example of what Looptworks can do. Because of their repurposing program, 350,000 lbs. of retired textiles have been diverted from landfills, where they would decompose and release harmful methane gas into the atmosphere. They work with large clients like Delta and Google and other brands across industries to help keep their top notch materials out of the landfill.