An article by CNN.

  Fashion designers are giving new life to worthless candy wrappers, newspapers and plastic bags; turning trash into trendy tote bags, purses and jewelry. From "post-consumer and industrial waste" comes durable, funky accessories reportedly worn by celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Cameron Diaz and Petra Nemcova. One self-described eco-fashion label, Ecoist, has partnered with Coca-Cola, Luna Bar and Aveda to create handbags made from misprinted and discontinued packaging. "We tap into that source of waste because it is reliable, and unfortunately, it's abundant," Ecoist co-founder Jonathan Marcoschamer said. "We believe that for the next few years, there's going to be a significant amount." How about 7.6 billion tons of waste? That's how much American companies toss each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. During the past four years, Ecoist said, it has sold more than 100,000 accessories created by its designers in Peru and Miami, Florida. The bags -- some of them one-of-a-kind -- are priced from about $30 for smaller versions to about $180 for larger ones. "For now, we're an immediate solution for many of these companies to utilize waste for something that's creative and promotes environmental awareness," Marcoschamer said.
 
Ecoist isn't alone. Katherine Rasmussen, owner of the label Reiter8, creates totes from recycled boat sails. Nicola Freegard and Robin Janson, the design team behind Vy&Elle, have recycled 100 tons of vinyl billboard ads to create wallets, bags and a variety of other products. Another designer, Anna Built, has opted to create jewelry from recycled tin cans. But it's not always easy being green. Timbuk2, a company famous for its messenger bags, has encountered resistance in its attempt to produce totes made from discarded plastic bags. The idea seemed feasible when Timbuk2 formed a partnership with RootPhi, which developed a machine capable of bonding plastic bags together. The machine, called the Lamitron, allowed them to produce a new fabric while maintaining the visual details of the original plastic bag. The timing seemed appropriate; San Francisco had banned the use of plastic bags, and other cities worldwide were considering similar initiatives. Despite a following of 3,000 potential customers on the Timbuk2 Web site, the bags are unlikely to be sold any time soon, if at all. The companies have encountered legal and technical hiccups in their efforts to mass produce the bags.

source: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-13/tech/trashy.fashion_1_plastic-bags-totes-ecoist?_s=PM:TECH
 




Eco-fashion websites:

http://www.ecoist.com/

http://www.ecofashionworld.com/