Holiday gift guide
After a semester of researching new and novel material products to acquire for the Material Lab’s collection, Ana Mandalay (MFA, Interior Design ’21) and Emily Gordin (MID ’22) have some ideas to avoid contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch while giving gifts this year…
UNDER $50
MoMA Design Store’s Japanese Pleated Tote
This tote bag is made of biodegradable PLA, with different materials depending on the color: the blue tote is made of biodegradable corn-based PLA, while the red bag is recycled polyester.
$48
Coal’s Beanies
Coal’s FLT Recycled Polylana Knit Beanie’s come in 10 different colors and are made with recycled Polylana yarn, a blend of recycled and virgin yarn that uses less energy and produces less waste than standard acrylic manufacturing.
$22
Huskee Cup
Made of a polypropylene composite with upto 50% coffee husk, a bi-product from coffee production, the Huskee Cup is designed to be durable, and recyclable through Huskee’s closed-loop system
$22
Drag and Drop’s Planter
This colorful planter is made from PLA, a corn starch derived plastic that is biodegradable. Drag and Drop is committed to creating sustainable home goods.
£30
Recycled Wool Puppet Kit
A rainy day project for kids 7 and up, this kit comes with detailed instructions and everything you need to make one of four animal puppets with 100% reclaimed wool.
$19.95
Humankind’s Dopp Kit
Each one of Humankind’s polyester dopp kits are made from 1.7 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.
$30
Sunski’s Yuba Sunglasses
Made from super lightweight and flexible recycled Polycarbonate plastic, Sunski’s Yuba sunglasses are made from reclaimed plastic scraps and are very resistant to breakage.
$44
Bureo’s Jenga Ocean
After Bureo started making skateboards out of recycled fishing nets sourced through their recycling program in 2019, they quickly branched out to other products like sunglasses and cycling equipment. Now they’ve reinvisioned Hasbro’s stacking game, swapping out alderwood for 25 feet of recycled fishing net.
$49.95
Rockay’s Razor Sock
This company collects ocean waste, which is converted to yarn to for their products. For each pair of socks (made from Econyl yarn, along with cotton, modal, recycled Polyamide, and recycled Elastane) Rockay removes 125g of plastic waste from the ocean.
$17.56
under 100
Patagonia’s Arbor Classic Pack 25L
Made with polyester fiber from used plastic bottles, and dyed through solution dying which has significantly lower CO2 than batch dying, the Arbor Classic Pack is a quintessential, heritage inspired day bag.
$99
Gomi’s Portable Charger
Created with recycled plastic waste, specifically plastic bags, bubble wrap, yogurt pots, disposable cups, and plastic cutlery the Gomi portable chargers are an excellent way to keep plastic waste from going to landfill.
£69
Tessa Silva’s Chub Candlesticks
Made from caisean (cow’s milk protein), Chub Candlesticks utilize surplus milk from a small organic farm in Sussex, England. Each candlestick is hand made.
£75
UAU Shop’s Vase
This made to order eccentric vase is 3D printed using PLA in Warsaw, Poland. UAU Shop is committed to creating well designed 3D printed objects for the home. UAU offers a wide range of different vases and vessels.
£80
Paper Project’s Crew Socks Gift Set
Paper yarn, or washi, has been traditionally been used in Japan, due to its versatility to provide comfort in both summer and winter. Using moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial paper yarn made of manila hemp along with wool and organic cotton, the Paper Project has a range of socks like this gift set. For each pair of socks sold, Paper Project makes a contribution to the National Forest Foundation.
$68
Mykor Design’s Mycelium Candle
This candle holder is hand-grown using wood waste and reishi mushroom mycelium. The mycelium vessel holds a Cedarwood and Jasmine soy based candle. The candle is fully compostable in as little as 45 days.
£60
Yoga Design Lab’s 3.5mm Combo Mat
A microfiber towel layer made of recycled PET bonded to natural tree rubber makes this a combination workout mat and towel without silicone, toxic glue, or phthalates. They are also mashing washable, which is an added bonus!
$88
Batako’s swimsuits
This boutique swimwear company based in England makes swimsuits out of recycled plastic waste while also donating a portion of their profit to grassroots environmental organizations like the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall, UK.
£50.00
Under $200
Wooj Design’s Wavy Lamp
Wooj Design is an industrial and furniture design studio in Brooklyn that was established by Pratt MID student Sean Salgado. The lamp is 3D printed with heat-resistant, corn-based plastic.
$105
Adidas’ Ultraboost 20 Running Sneakers
Available in a range of styles and colors, Adidas’ Ultraboost 20 Shoe is one of several products to come out of multinational sportswear company’s collaboration with Parley for the Oceans, an environmental organization. The shoe’s upper is made with Primeblue, a fabric made with recycled ocean plastic.
$180
Votch’s Classic Watch
The UK-based vegan leather watch company, Votch, has a range of sleek minimalist watches like this Silver & Piñatex Classic watch that feature a wrist strap made from Piñatex, a vegan leather alternative that uses pineapple leaf fibers, a by-product from the pineapple harvest.
£135
ecoBirdy’s Charlie Chair
This chair, designed for kids, is crafted from Ecothylene®, featuring recycled pieces of plastic toys that are recognizable. The brand strives to create sustainable furniture pieces for children that combat the short lifecycle and impermanence of the children’s toy industry.
$199
Nike’s Space Hippie 04 Sneakers
Boasting the lowest carbon footprint in Nike’s line-up, the Space Hippie 04 features an upper made with 75% recycled content made from plastic bottles, t-shirts, and yarn scraps, while its soft midsole is a blend of recycled foam and rubber.
$130
Over $200
Goldwin’s x Spiber’s Sweater
“Produced from plant-derived biomass using a fermentation process, the Brewed Protein™ materials featured in The Sweater are the result of Spiber’s research into the creation of biopolymer materials capable of mimicking the properties found in natural spider silk.”
$800
Noho’s Move Chair
Made using ECONYL® a regenerated nylon from end-of-life carpets and fishing nets removed from the ocean, this chair is highly flexible to ensure ergonomic comfort.
$375
Seljak’s Lune Blanket
Made with yarn spun from post-consumer textile waste along with 70% recycled wool, using offcuts that reflect the production before it, Seljak’s Lune blankets vary slightly in color and texture. For every 10 blankets sold, Seljak donates one to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
$329