Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 474,290 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,274 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 308,923 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,274 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 308,923 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,220 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 474,290 cutting edge ideas.

100 Examples of Recycled Art & Design

From Skateboard-Recycled Cases to Upcycled Alcohol Trinkets

— March 13, 2012 — Eco
It will probably be a while before wearing garbage becomes a fashion trend, but recycled art and design is an interesting development nonetheless. Trash is nasty, ugly and too often ubiquitous. The artists, designers and craftspeople behind these works take such trash, clean it up, and make it interesting to look at.

The examples range from kitsch and cute to eccentric to downright pretty; the common thread throughout all of the works is the resourcefulness of their creators.

It would be an overstatement to say that making a statue out of garbage will solve the world’s environmental and economic problems; still, as resources become more scarce while demand for these resources grows, resourcefulness should be a valued trait. In this way, the people behind this recycled art and design lead by example.
6.8
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
100
Recycled CD Storage
Recycled CD Storage
The Diaz Adisastomo 'Plattern' is Made from Old License Plates
<
99
Recycled Cube Pavillions
Recycled Cube Pavillions
The 'B (h) uis' is Made Completely From Waste Materials
<
98
Raw Recycled Frames
Raw Recycled Frames
The Piece Peace Frame by Kazutoyo Yamamoto is Subtly Eclectic
<
97
Rainbow Recycled Belts
Rainbow Recycled Belts
Tie-Ups are Eco-Conscious and Elegant
<
96
Wine Barrel Bento Packs
Wine Barrel Bento Packs
'Suteki Box' Modernizes the Traditional Japanese Lunch Pack
<
95
Recycled Charity Bracelets
Recycled Charity Bracelets
The 'Choose Haiti' Initiative Raises Money for Earthquake Survivors
<
94
Recycled Bottle Bikes
Recycled Bottle Bikes
The ReCycle Me Bike is Eco-Friendly and Foldable
<
93
Recycled Suede Shoes
Recycled Suede Shoes
The Beyond Skin Footwear Line is Made Largely from Recycled Bottles
<
92
Literal Seatbelt Seats
Literal Seatbelt Seats
Adam Barron Creates a Comfy Modern Chair Out of Recycled Seatbelts
<
91
Reclaimed Christmas Ads
Reclaimed Christmas Ads
The Volkswagen Instant Christmas Recycler Campaign is Clever
<
90
Raw Recycled Strummers
Raw Recycled Strummers
The Praxis Guitars Debuted During the Maker Faire 2011
<
89
Waste Wood-Transformed Toys
Waste Wood-Transformed Toys
Alicucio Creates Noble Toys and Furnishings the Old-Fashioned Way
<
88
Recycled Theatres
Recycled Theatres
The Jellyfish Theatre in the UK Will be Made from Recycled Materials
<
87
Recycled Wrapper Labels
Recycled Wrapper Labels
Squigglechick Luggage Tags Feature Upcycled Candy Covers
<
86
Soda Tribute Statues
Soda Tribute Statues
The Coke Fan Man is a Coke Crate Creation for the World Cup
<
85
Newspaper Designer Furniture
Newspaper Designer Furniture
Mieke Dingen Creates a Wood-Like Material Out of Old Newspaper
<
84
Recycled Relief Maps
Recycled Relief Maps
The Urban Narratives Exhibition by Matthew Picton Features 3D Topographies
<
83
Plastic Bottle Pyramids
Plastic Bottle Pyramids
The Temple of Trash by Salzig Design Features Over 100 Tons of Plastic
<
82
Recycled Rodent Vehicles
Recycled Rodent Vehicles
The Rat Car Resembles a Gigantic Critter
<
81
Reused Topography Designs
Reused Topography Designs
Susan Stockwell's Recycled World Map is Made up of Computer Parts
<
80
Recycled Wood Recliners
Recycled Wood Recliners
Uhuru Revamps an Old Walkway Into Coney Island Boardwalk Furniture
<
79
Recycled Paper Dinner Sets
Recycled Paper Dinner Sets
'Pulp Furniture' is Paper Made Eco-Friendly Seating
<
78
Recycled Street Sign Art
Recycled Street Sign Art
The Signtologist Creates Unique Artworks from Unwanted Signs
<
77
Recycled Paper Pencils
Recycled Paper Pencils
Gongjang Crafts Earth-Friendly Writing Utensils
<
76
Recycled Spectrum Art
Recycled Spectrum Art
The Rubbish Rainbows Series by Betty Jo Designs is Unique and Bright
<
75
Recycled 8-Bit Instruments
Recycled 8-Bit Instruments
Benjamin Gaulon Transforms Nintendo Controllers Into MIDI Inputs
<
74
Simple Recycled Seat Sets
Simple Recycled Seat Sets
Robin Stummvoll's 'Einbaum' Converts Old Plastic Boxes into Chairs
<
73
Recycled Swimwear Couture
Recycled Swimwear Couture
UK Students Create Speedo Swimsuit Fashion Pieces With Old Bikinis
<
72
Recycled Children's Furniture
Recycled Children's Furniture
The SugiX Nakadai Project Teaches Kids to be Sustainable
<
71
Recycled Slum Skyscrapers
Recycled Slum Skyscrapers
The Tomorrow Skyscraper is Designed to Make Slum Life Safer
<
70
Recycled Ties
Recycled Ties
The Narwhal Company Transforms Your Formalwear
<
69
Plastic Bottle Cushions
Plastic Bottle Cushions
The Lamacek Lounger Features Eco-Friendly Components
<
68
Recycled Action Figures
Recycled Action Figures
Rupert Valero Makes Heroic Toys From Garbage
<
67
Recycled Refuse Rooftops
Recycled Refuse Rooftops
The Fizzy Bottle Roof Project is a Refreshing Concept
<
66
Repurposed Billboard Blinds
Repurposed Billboard Blinds
Lattice Workshop Outfits Homes with Pop-Culture Curtains
<
65
Recycled Cardboard Art
Recycled Cardboard Art
Kaitlyn Parker Takes Old Paper Products and Turns Them Into Masterpieces
<
64
Recycled Igloos
Recycled Igloos
A Giant Igloo Consisting 300 Old Refrigerators is Erected in Hamburg
<
63
Recycled CD Architecture
Recycled CD Architecture
The Shanghai Corporate Pavilion Nears Completion (UPDATE)
<
62
Used Apparel Art
Used Apparel Art
Recycled Clothing Art by Guerra De La Paz Follows the "Three Rs"
<
61
Paper Bag Princesses
Paper Bag Princesses
The Ready-To-Wear-Away Dress Transforms with Each and Every Wear
<
60
Recycled Gadget Statues
Recycled Gadget Statues
Giant Cell Phone Sculpture in Cluj Napoca is Made from Used Phones
<
59
Recycled Plastic Pavilions
Recycled Plastic Pavilions
MASS Design Group's Bottle Service Concept is Entirely Eco-Friendly
<
58
Radiant Recycled Circles
Radiant Recycled Circles
Virginia Fleck Creates Grocery Bag Works That are Anything But Trashy
<
57
Recycled Tankitecture
Recycled Tankitecture
The Infomab 10 Pavilion Pretties Up Your Backyard Junk
<
56
Recycled 3D Sphere Art
Recycled 3D Sphere Art
'Moons of Jupiter' by Mark Castator Transforms Trash into True Art
<
55
Recycled Porcelain Tiles
Recycled Porcelain Tiles
The Fiandre Series 100 Collection is for the Eco-Conscious Decorator
<
54
Recycled Writing Utensils
Recycled Writing Utensils
These Newspaper Pencils from Treesmart are Eco-Fabulous
<
53
Radical Recycled Radiators
Radical Recycled Radiators
The Eco-Rad Radiator Uses 3 Eco 'R's
<
52
Recycled Portraits
Recycled Portraits
Derek Gores Finds New Use for Scrap Material
<
51
Recycled Kimono Clutches
Recycled Kimono Clutches
‘Attic Japan' Transforms Traditional Clothes into Accessories
<
50
Recycled Soft Drink Apparel
Recycled Soft Drink Apparel
Fashion Brands Give Coca-Cola rPET Shirts a Designer's Touch
<
49
Upcycled Alcohol Trinkets
Upcycled Alcohol Trinkets
Dust Design Co Gives Obsolete Objects a New Life
<
48
Recycled Cinema Seating
Recycled Cinema Seating
Cardboard Cinema Provides Eco-Friendly Furnishings for Your Home Theater
<
47
Recycled Toy Vehicles
Recycled Toy Vehicles
Enrique Conde's Eco Art from Old PC Parts is Amazing
<
46
Recycling Box Dwellings
Recycling Box Dwellings
Recycled Student Housing Saves Space and Environment
<
45
Recycled Metrocard Art
Recycled Metrocard Art
Luis Torres Crafts Clever Creations from Used NYC Metrocards
<
44
Circuit Board Furniture
Circuit Board Furniture
BRC Designs' Binary Low Table is Made for the Geeky Home
<
43
Skateboard-Recycled Cases
Skateboard-Recycled Cases
The Grove Made MapleXO iPhone Cases are Made for Skaters
<
42
Recycled Rim Mega Sculptures
Recycled Rim Mega Sculptures
The W'eel Turtle is Made Out of 2,000 Wheel Rims
<
41
Recycled Magazine Creations
Recycled Magazine Creations
This Incredible Piece by Amy Varagiannis is Colorfully Eco-Friendly
<
40
Garbage Origami Gardens
Garbage Origami Gardens
Cardboard Plants by Karen Abel Add Life to Forgotten Flower Pots
<
39
Kitschy Salvaged Statuettes
Kitschy Salvaged Statuettes
Robert Bradford's Recycled Toy Sculptures are Made of Old Plastic
<
38
Temporary Trash Tourism
Temporary Trash Tourism
The Save the Beach Hotel in Rome is Made from Recycled Rubbish
<
37
Recycled Ceremonial Rings
Recycled Ceremonial Rings
Todd Reed Creates Stunning Jewelry With Used Metals & Uncut Diamonds
<
36
Recycled Robotic Figures
Recycled Robotic Figures
Dario Tironi Uses a Mixture of Recycled Items to Create a Robot Family
<
35
Recycled Book Desks
Recycled Book Desks
Tu Delft Architecture Bibliotheek Turns the Tables on Intelligent Design
<
34
Recycled Sports Pavilions
Recycled Sports Pavilions
The Templestowe Football Club is Made Out of the Bones of an Old Stadium
<
33
Recycled Paper Sound Systems
Recycled Paper Sound Systems
Tau Speakers are Made of Old Coated Cardboard
<
32
Plastic Waste Houses
Plastic Waste Houses
Affresol Thermo Poly Rock Uses Garbage and Doesn't Rot
<
31
Broken Glass Furniture
Broken Glass Furniture
The Breaking the Bottle Collection Looks Like It's Covered in AstroTurf
<
30
Recyclable Paper Playthings
Recyclable Paper Playthings
Mibo Paper Animals are Disposed of When Young Come of Age
<
29
Recycled Art Spaces
Recycled Art Spaces
The RAKE Showroom was Constructed with Old Doors and Windows
<
28
Brutish Beer Bottle Busts
Brutish Beer Bottle Busts
Andres Basurto Breaks Apart Old Booze Bottles and Turns Them into Art
<
27
Trash Handbags
Trash Handbags
'Reclaimed Wreckage' Creates Fashion Out of Grocery Bags and Recyclables
<
26
Reused Rubber Accessories
Reused Rubber Accessories
The Urban Lace Jewelry is Recycled Inner Tube Adornment
<
25
Recycled Skateboard Bling
Recycled Skateboard Bling
Seven Ply Creates Unique Necklaces From Unwanted Skate Decks
<
24
Recycled Bottled Temples
Recycled Bottled Temples
Wat Pa Maha Chedio Kaew Temple Houses Over a Million Bottles
<
23
Recycled Trash Sculptures
Recycled Trash Sculptures
Steven Siegel Creates Monumental Art from Junk
<
22
Recycled Keyboard Fashion
Recycled Keyboard Fashion
Neatorama Turns Old Keyboards Into Fab Art
<
21
Retro Recycled Lighting
Retro Recycled Lighting
The 'Can Light' Seems to Pay Tribute to Andy Warhol
<
20
Fancily Boozed Fixtures
Fancily Boozed Fixtures
Express Your Love of Alcohol with These Beer Bottle Chandeliers
<
19
Recycled Light Bulb Terrariums
Recycled Light Bulb Terrariums
Old Incandescant Lightbulbs Revamped as Mini Gardens
<
18
Recycled Toy Canines
Recycled Toy Canines
Robert Bradford Transforms Children's Toys into Life-Sized Dogs
<
17
Intricate E-Waste Embellishments
Intricate E-Waste Embellishments
The Computer Couture Circuit Accessories of GeekeryJewelry
<
16
Garbage-Constructed Villages
Garbage-Constructed Villages
The House of Contamination is a Project with a Project
<
15
Car Part Sculptures
Car Part Sculptures
James Corbett Creates Art from Automotive Cast Offs
<
14
Terrific Tubular Furniture
Terrific Tubular Furniture
Meltdown PP Tube 1 is A Wildly Inventive Recycled Plumbing Seat
<
13
Grocery Bag Rings
Grocery Bag Rings
Giovannie Scafuro Creates Eco-Chic Jewelry From Old Plastic
<
12
Recycled Residences
Recycled Residences
The Eugenia House Makes a Big Impact with a Small Eco Footprint
<
11
Recycled Paper Roll Visages
Recycled Paper Roll Visages
Junior Fritz Jacquet Sculpts Origami Faces Using Toilet Products
<
10
Recycled Skateboard Shades
Recycled Skateboard Shades
Holloway SK8 Sunglasses are Decked-out Frames
<
9
Recycled Refrigerator Sofas
Recycled Refrigerator Sofas
The Fridge Couch Was Made for an Outdoor Wedding
<
8
Retro Recycled Artworks
Retro Recycled Artworks
L017's Vinyl Record Sculptures are Complex and Detailed
<
7
Candy Wrapper Jewelry
Candy Wrapper Jewelry
Polish makkireQu Repurposes Waste as Fashion Baubles
<
6
Eclectically Recycled Furniture
Eclectically Recycled Furniture
Design By Leftovers Shows That "Pre-Loved Can Be Re-Loved"
<
5
Reusable Package Planters
Reusable Package Planters
Taste Packaging Invites the Cook to Sew his Next Supper
<
4
Garbage Jewelry
Garbage Jewelry
Ann Ellis Recycles Trash into Colorful Wearable Art
<
3
Beer Can Bracelets
Beer Can Bracelets
Ann-Made Jewelry Supports the Environment and Local Charities
<
2
Geometric Cardboard Seats
Geometric Cardboard Seats
Lazerian Studio Reveals Recycled Cardboard Furniture in Milan
<
1
Recycled Yard Structures
Recycled Yard Structures
Backyard House's Beauty Belies in its Building Material of Discarded Wood
<