Something old, something used, something borrowed and something bruised: Recycled crafts and repurposed products have it all. It’s great to see scraps and overages spared from the salvage yard and transformed into new, exciting products. The use of recycled materials and upcycled products makes a purchase even more satisfying. Here are some of our favorites.

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Couture Planet – Handbags

Connie Carman turns the fashion pages of the New York Times into chic, eco-friendly handbags. Each one-of-a-kind bag is finished by hand. Buy Couture Planet’s recycled newspaper purse here.
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Earthling Crazy Crayons – 100% Recycled Crayons

Crayons made from 100% post-consumer content are produced in kid-friendly shapes and sizes and packaged in recycled boxes. Art meets conservation! Buy Earthling recycled crayons here.
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ecosystem life journals – Artist or Author

You can feel good about using these eco-friendly journals and notebooks, which are produced entirely in the U.S. using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Buy Ecosystem’s recycled blank writing journals here.
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ReBinder – Recycled School & Office Supplies

An entire year’s worth of recycled and socially-conscious school supplies are inside this 30-piece kit. Back-to-school never felt so good. Buy Rebinder recycled school supplies here.

The Oak Barrel Company – Reclaimed Wine Barrel Lazy Server

This lazy server is made from the top of an old oak wine barrel. The design celebrates all the colorful, textured remnants of the barrelhead’s previous life. Buy The Oak Barrel Company’stable top lazy susan server here.
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GreenSewn – Sari Scarves

GreenSewn collects vintage silk saris and transforms them into colorful scarves and wraps that are as eco-friendly as they are chic. Buy Green Sewn vintage silk scarves here.
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Tia’s Freestyle Sandals

Tia’s Freestyle Sandals were a big hit at Daily Grommet; a versatile shoe design using interchangeable, recycled silk saris for tops. Create your own unique styles with these make-your-own sandals. Buy Tia’s freestyle sandals here.

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The idea of being green is appealing, but the reality of transforming from an energy hog into an eco-appreciative citizen can be daunting. The trick is to take on one challenge at a time, when and where you can. Here are some green living tips to get you inspired.

Smash Can – Trash Compactor

The stainless-steel trash can has a manual compactor built into the lid. It pushes trash down so you can compact more trash into a single bag. Buy the Smash Can manual trash compactor here.
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Laundry Tree – SoapNuts

Soapnuts are an eco-friendly way to clean your laundry, without any fillers, dyes or chemicals. They’re hypoallergenic, biodegradable and antimicrobial, too. Buy Laundry Tree Soapnuts natural laundry detergent here.

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Lucky Earth – Waterless Car Wash

Who says you need water to wash your car? This eco-friendly car wash kit is waterless, nontoxic and costs just a few dollars per wash. Buy Lucky Earth’s waterless car wash kit here.
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Get your green on with chic eco accessories that have the perfect mix of sustainability and elegance. Eco-friendly fashion and green jewelry let you express your creative side and at the same time support artisans and craftspeople who are committed to responsible design and manufacturing practices.

Polarity – Recycled Magnetic Locket

Industrial lockets are crafted from recycled steel auto parts and personalized with quirky graphics created by Cat Ivins and her indie artist collaborators. Buy Polarity interchangeable magnetic lockets here.
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Couture Planet – Handbags

Connie Carman turns the fashion pages of the New York Times into chic, eco-friendly handbags. Each one-of-a-kind bag is finished by hand. Buy Couture Planet’s recycled newspaper purse here.
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Rickshaw Bagworks – “Zero” Messenger Bags

There’s room for everything in these innovative messenger bags, except waste. All fabric scraps get used in the bags, so nothing gets tossed. Buy Rickshaw Bagwork’s nylon messenger bags here.
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Are you ready to deck the halls with boughs of sustainably-harvested holly? Eco-conscious artisans make it easy to choose cool home accessories and entertaining products that are designed to limit their impact on the environment. ‘Tis the season to be green.

The Oak Barrel Company – Reclaimed Wine Barrel Lazy Server

This lazy server is made from the top of an old oak wine barrel. The design celebrates all the colorful, textured remnants of the barrelhead’s previous life. Buy The Oak Barrel Company’s.

Full Circle – Scrub Brushes and Sponges

Full Circle’s Suds Up Set is hardworking, multifunctional, earth friendly and a great value. Buy Full Circle’s Eco Friendly Brushes and Sponges here.
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Postcarden – A Mini Living Garden

This simple postcard-sized box goes from greeting to garden easily; the recipient opens the box, which turns into a pop-up greeting card, which then unfolded becomes an architectural landscape. Buy the Postcarden greeting card with seeds here.
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The Vanilla Company – Pure Vanilla Extracts and Sugars

Pure vanilla extracts from Mexico, Tahiti and Madagascar will add rich flavors to your cuisine and help improve the lives of people who cultivate vanilla. Buy pure vanilla extract and vanilla sugar here.
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Anywhere Fireplace – Ventless Fireplace

A ventless fireplace is an elegant, eco-friendly way to add instant warmth and ambiance to any room, inside or out. Buy a contemporary stainless steel wall mount or pit Anywhere Fireplace here.
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Rent The Runway – Designer Dress Rentals

Instead of busting your budget on a designer dress, try renting one for a fraction of the cost. You get the thrill of wearing couture with none of the guilt. Learn more about Rent The Runway’s designer dress rental program here.
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LivingEthos – Reusable Fabric Gift Wrap

Don’t let wrapping paper wastefulness dampen the joy of giving. Go green with colorful, stylish and earth-friendly fabric gift bags from LivingEthos. Buy LivingEthos holiday cloth gift bags here.
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The Hole Thing-Colorful Felted Garland -

Be hip in a crafty sort of way. Louise Cady-Fernandes works with recycled wool to make these necklaces, pins and strands of gorgeous garland. Buy The Hole Things’ unique handcrafted felted garland and accessories here.
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Why go green? If the environmental advantages aren’t compelling enough, think about the impact on your wallet. Sometimes the green option is also the most affordable choice – or at the very least competitively priced. We singled out some eco-friendly products and services with a payoff that’s easy to calculate: Go green, save money.

LunchSkins – Sandwich and Snack Bag Set

LunchSkins reusable sandwich bags are an easy, affordable alternative to plastic bags. The food-safe fabric bags can even be thrown in the dishwasher. Buy Lunchskins reusable cloth sandwich bags here.
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Laundry Tree – SoapNuts

Soapnuts are an eco-friendly way to clean your laundry, without any fillers, dyes or chemicals. They’re hypoallergenic, biodegradable and antimicrobial, too. Buy Laundry Tree Soapnuts natural laundry detergent here
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Lunette – Menstrual Cup

Lunette is a liberating, eco-friendly alternative to disposable tampons and pads. It’s comfortable, convenient and saves money. Buy the Lunette silicone menstrual cup here.
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Catamount – Microwave Popcorn Poppers

Imagine the convenience of microwave popcorn without the unhealthy chemicals. This popper keeps things simple, natural and affordable. Buy Catamount’s popcorn microwave popper here.
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bobble – Bottle with Water Filter

The bobble has its own built-in filter, so you can drink ordinary tap water and spare the expense and environmental impact of bottled water. Buy the Water Bobble reusable bottle with water filter here.
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BluApple – Keeps Produce Fresh

If you’re sick of throwing away spoiled fruits and vegetables, BluApple can prolong the storage life of fresh produce by as much as threefold. Buy the Bluapple to keep fresh fruit and vegetables longer here.

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Eco-Me – Home Box Set

There are so many things to love about this DIY cleaning kit. It’s 100% natural, nontoxic, easy to use and saves money. Most importantly, it gets the job done. Buy the Ec-Me kit to make your own green, organic, chemical-free cleaning products.

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UltraLast Green Batteries – Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers

Rechargeable batteries are easy on your budget and the environment. A solar-powered charger boosts the savings even higher. Buy UltraLast AA and AAA rechargeable batteries with solar recharger here.
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Pearl’s Premium – Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed

Make the transition to an organic lawn with Pearl’s Premium lawn seed. You’ll enjoy less mowing, less watering and no runoff from harmful chemical fertilizers. Buy Pearl’s lawn seed for an easy organic lawn with superior weed control here.
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Sodastream – Jet Starter Kit

With a touch of a button you can have homemade soda or seltzer without high fructose corn syrup. It’s surprisingly easy and affordable. Buy Sodastream soda and seltzer maker here.
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Sorry, Kermit, but we respectfully disagree with you. It is easy being green, especially when you can choose from handpicked green  products. We’ve tested each of these eco-friendly products and discovered how the creators go the extra mile to combine great design with sustainable manufacturing practices.

EARTHTEC – Outerwear made from recycled bottles

Discarded plastic bottles are recycled into durable fabric, and comfortable hoodies are born. Frog-certified! Buy Earth Tec hoodie jackets here.
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Polarity – Recycled Magnetic Locket

Industrial lockets are crafted from recycled steel auto parts and personalized with quirky graphics created by Cat Ivins and her indie artist collaborators. Buy Polarity interchangeable magnetic lockets here.
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Resource Revival – Desk Accessories: Frames & Art

The artists at Resource Revival transform old bicycle parts into ingenious creations that can be appreciated by cyclists and non-cyclists alike. Buy Resource Revival’s recycled bike art products here.
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PACT – Underwear for Change

PACT underwear is designed to be earth-friendly from start to finish. A portion of every sale supports social and environmental causes. Buy PACT organic cotton underwear for men here.
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ecosystem life journals – Artist or Author

You can feel good about using these eco-friendly journals and notebooks, which are produced entirely in the U.S. using 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Buy Ecosystem’s recycled blank writing journals here.
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Tegu – Magnetic Wooden Building Blocks

Playing with wooden blocks will never be the same. Embedded magnets enable gravity-defying creations. Buy Tegu’s wooden magnetic building blocks here.
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Kara Weaves – Handwoven Robes

Pure cotton yarn is handwoven into soft, durable, absorbent bathrobes. Each one-of-a-kind luxury robe supports textile artistry in India. Buy Kara Weaves handwoven, cotton, lightweight robes here.
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Jill-able – Say it with a Vase

Add to the pleasure of cut flowers with these unique, reusable vases that fold completely flat for easy storage. Buy Jill-able’s portable and collapsible flower vase here.
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ChicoBag – Reusable Produce Bags

Take the guesswork out of keeping your produce purchases fresh. These reusable, recycled bags are portable, practical and produce-friendly. Buy the ChicoBag reusable grocery and produce bag system here.
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Packit – Freeze and Go Lunch Sack

Gel-lined lunch bags hold the cold for up to 10 hours without the need for messy ice or bulky cold packs. They’re perfect for school, work, travel and more. Buy the PackIt freezable cooler bag here.
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See more green products ideas here.

The idea of a green home is appealing, but the reality of transforming an energy-draining, resource-consuming habitat into an eco home can be daunting. The trick is to take on one challenge at a time, when and where you can. Here are some green home ideas to get you inspired.

IdeaPaint – Dry Erase Paint

Make room for your big ideas with IdeaPaint, a water-based paint that creates a dry-erase surface on walls, cabinets, desktops and anywhere else you can imagine. Buy Idea Paint whiteboard dry erase paint here
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TRU Eco – Induction Burner

The Tru Eco induction cooker is powerful and fast, it also won’t put a dent in your wallet or the environment. Buy the TRU portable induction cooktop burner here.
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The Right Mat – Reclaimed Fishing Rope Doormat

The “Right Mat” creates gorgeous doormats from reclaimed lobster ropes. They help safeguard marine life, support lobstermen and keep used ropes out of landfills. Buy outdoor doormats made from recycled lobster float ropes here.
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Anywhere Fireplace – Ventless Fireplace

A ventless fireplace is an elegant, eco-friendly way to add instant warmth and ambiance to any room, inside or out. Buy a contemporary stainless steel wall mount or pit Anywhere Fireplace here.
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Sodastream – Fountain Machine

With a touch of a button you can have homemade soda (without high fructose corn syrup). It’s surprisingly easy and affordable. Buy Soda Club Sodastream carbonator to make your own soda here.
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Blue Moon Bottles – Wine Bottle Reclamation Art

Blue Moon Bottles creates drinking glasses and vases made from recycled wine bottles. No two are the same, but they all catch the light beautifully. Buy Blue Moon Bottles’ recycled glass tumblers here.
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Around the Bend – Handcrafted Willow Twig Mirror

This handcrafted, colorful mirror will always reflect your good taste. Buy Around the Bend’s handcrafted willow twig mirror here.
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Woolly Pocket – Gardening Containers

Not quite a pot, more interesting than a window box, these planting “pockets” will have you thinking about plants in a whole new way. Buy Woolly Pocket gardening pockets for vertical wall gardens here.
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See more eco living home products here.