the unwash review
Belgium-based brand EcoBirdy is giving new life to tossed and unused plastic children’s toys. The brand repurposes plastic waste to create thoughtful design furniture, with a collection dedicated to kids. EcoBirdy is B-Corporation certified and has created its own system for sustainably recycling plastic toys. All of their furniture is completely made from recycled plastic which includes kids-sized pieces and artful lounge furniture. Ensuring proper education around upcycling and the circularity of our products is part of the brand’s mission which is incorporated through education elements alongside their furniture sales. Their furniture and recycling process gives kids and adults alike a glimpse into how to repurpose items.
The plastic used for their furniture pieces is gathered and recycled in Europe ensuring fair practices. The brand promotes circularity and social responsibility. The furniture line launched in 2018 and originally was solely children’s furniture but has expanded into versatile pieces that could be used for any room in your home, even outdoors. EcoBirdy is focused on a circular economy and introduces children to this concept at a young age. Being able to show children that their toys can be recycled into something purposeful hopefully will create a better understanding not only about the items we purchase but also their environmental impact. Along with their large furniture pieces the brand also manufactures small storage bins in unique animal shapes. The bins are shaped like Kiwi birds and Rhinos to create awareness for these endangered animals.
“By giving old plastic a new life, our aim is to free our ecosystem from its pernicious impact.” – Vanessa Yuan and Joris Vanbriel, EcoBirdy Founders
The brand’s founders come from diverse backgrounds in the fashion and design industries, and their drive to create solutions to environmental problems brought them together for the creation of EcoBirdy. Together they spent two years researching the most effective and sustainable ways to recycle children’s toys which are notoriously hard to recycle. Plastic waste is a problem that continues to grow and is especially prevalent in toys that EcoBirdy is working to create solutions for. Beautiful furniture pieces aren’t all that this brand offers. The founders are vigilant about bringing things full circle and adding an educational component to their business. They launched a fun children’s book that follows the life of a plastic scooter that doesn’t want to end up in a landfill or as waste in the ocean so it finds its way to EcoBirdy’s recycling center. This inspires children to learn about upcycling and eventually make their own contributions.
Everything EcoBirdy aims at creating an educational experience on top of its functional designs. Their designs spark conversation about important topics such as sustainability and circularity with people of all ages and interests. Something beautiful, unique, and artful can come from waste, the extra effort to utilize recycling in the furniture industry creates a truly one-of-a-kind product. An element that stands out in EcoBirdy’s designs is the multi-color specs seen from different plastic pieces, giving a second life to what was once trash.
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Great Wrap
Composting is a simple and enjoyable way to minimize your environmental footprint. If you’re curious about exploring the best composting solution for your lifestyle and living space, Great Wrap’s website is a great place to start. The rapidly changing world of packaging may be intimidating, but Great Wrap makes it easy to end your reliance on traditional plastics by promoting circularity in your kitchen.
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Davids Toothpaste
Davids Toothpaste has performed thousands of hours of research to define the best natural and clean ingredients for removing plaque, whitening teeth, and freshening your breath. I feel clean and fresh after using the sensitive+whitening peppermint toothpaste, tongue scraper, and bamboo toothbrush, and the low-waste products serve as my morning reminder to make sustainable choices throughout the day.
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Wilde House Paper
Wilde House Paper creates stationary with the mission of cultivating connection. We first came across the brand through their popular Cultivating Conversations card deck which offers a series of questions to play with others or reflect inward on topics of self-discovery, emotions, and goals. Wilde House Paper puts clear intention into all of their products but also offering a sustainable option in a space with more limited sustainable choices.
