Handmade Fashion with Etsy
Reusing waste materials to create new products is one of the best ways to do your part in being more eco-friendly. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the United States produces approximately 220 million tons of garbage each year and each person generates about 4 pounds of garbage a day or about 1,500 pounds a year per person! That is a lot of waste that just gets thrown together in a landfill to sit for thousands of years.
Etsy is a website that allows you to buy and sell handmade items which cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, and toys. The best part is, a lot of the items for sale are things made from reused, or “upcycled”, pieces of waste. When you make something new from something old it is called “upcycle” and when you search for that term on Etsy’s website, you will get over 30,000 results! Thousands of Etsy members are making, selling, and buying millions of great products that divert tons of garbage from the landfill while also bringing in a little extra cash on the side, and that is always a great thing!
Some of the things for sale include this adorable pink hoodie that is made from old pieces of other hoodies.
$43 - Upcycled Hoodie
Or this cute bag made from plastic bottle caps.
$24 - Plastic Bottle Cap Bag