# Beautiful Art from Recycled Toys Ryan McElhinney By Ayman | Published 2008-03-15 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recycled-toys-mcelhinney References: [arabaquarius.blogspot](http://arabaquarius.blogspot.com/) & [ryanmcelhinney](http://ryanmcelhinney.com/) Making your house chic and elegant while saving the environment is always good in my book, so I was happy to stumble upon Ryan McElhinney's site. McElhinney makes artistic yet practical pieces of [recycled Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/atlanta-airport-chairs) which are bonded together and then coated in a High Gloss polyurethane lacquer. Each piece is one of a kind and hand crafted at his London Studio. Ryan McElhinney is focusing now on [furniture, lighting and interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rosana-sousa) but he has worked before in animation for Walt Disney, Paris and some prestigious films at 20th Century Fox in USA. He also worked on a number of high profile and award winning projects, including the Pheonix Arts Council commissioned '[junk sculpture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/basket-sculptures)' highlighting Urban Decay. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 71% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Upcycled Toy Art:** Creating art and furniture from discarded toys, promoting sustainability and unique design. - **High Gloss Recycling:** Using polyurethane lacquer to create a glossy finish on upcycled toys, adding value to waste materials. - **Sustainable Interiors:** Designing home decor and furniture with environmentally-friendly materials, appealing to eco-conscious consumers. ### Who This Affects Most - **Eco-friendly Furniture:** Opportunities for furniture companies to create stylish and sustainable pieces using innovative materials and techniques. - **Art and Design:** Potential for artists and designers to explore the artistic possibilities of repurposed materials and upcycling in their work. - **Toy Manufacturing:** Possibilities for toy manufacturers to adopt sustainable practices and upcycling methods in their production process to reduce waste and appeal to conscious consumers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Recycled Lighting Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nytt-lys-collection.md) - [Upcycled Plastic Furniture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crafting-plastic.md) - [Recycled Plastic Decor Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plastplan-design-studio.md) - [Recycled Collectible Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recyclings.md) - [Upcycled Sculptural Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eps-expanded-polystyrene-serie.md) - [Junkyard-Inspired Art Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/junkyard-diving.md) - [Recycled Plastic Furniture Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bristol-plastic-factory.md) - [Styrofoam Furniture Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trashy.md) - [Waste-Incorporated Chair Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/knoll-chairs.md)