Menu
Over the years we have purchased several upcycled items from Looptworks and have loved them. We love the idea of upcycling and upcycled products! Here is our review of a few Looptworks products we have put to the test.
Looptworks defines (literally) themselves on their website as:
“Looptworks [ looped wurks ] noun. A Portland, Oregon based business that re-purposes and upcycles abandoned, pre-consumer and post-consumer materials into limited edition products.”
The company says “We’re a design brand on a mission: to use what already exists.” That statement summarizes the products they make very well. All of the source materials for the items they design and sell were once headed for the landfill. Looptworks uses excess material and scraps from factory floors. With those scraps, Looptworks designs and locally makes fashionable limited edition pieces.“
In our observation Looptworks strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible in every aspect of their business. They are not only a certified B Corporation but they were recognized as a “Best for the World” company. That status puts Looptworks in the top 5% of B Corp companies in the world because of their positive impact.
Looptworks also prides themselves on having an extremely low carbon footprint. Much of this is due to the nature of the products they create. Since everything they make comes from what would otherwise be waste, very little resources are used in their production compared to producing them from scratch. They say that this helps them “conserve massive amounts of water, embodied energy, carbon emissions, and physical waste.”
One thing you may think about when considering the environmentally friendliness of purchasing your fashionable Looptworks product online is the impact of shipping the item to your house. Looptworks has also thought of this so they allow you to donate $1 to offset the carbon emissions of your order if you wish. The company claims that every $1 donated offsets 220 pounds of carbon.
When it comes to the carbon offsets, the website says:
“Purchasing and supporting upcycled products created using existing materials reduces our collective carbon footprint. As shipping the upcycled goods adds it back in, we wanted to offer the ability for our customers to offset the impact of shipping their purchase.”
More details of Looptworks carbon offset option can be found HERE
Looptworks makes a fairly large variety of trendy fashionably designed products. The exciting thing about them is that you never know what they are going to make next. More importantly, you don’t know what the items are going to be made of! One of the most interesting things about the pieces Looptworks comes up with is they can be made using anything from airline seat material to obsolete athletic uniforms.
One of the things that Looptworks strives to do is encourage companies to collaborate with them to make use of their excess material. Instead of just seeking out piles of scrap like some other upcycling companies do, Looptworks actively encourages official collaborations. They have worked with some well known brands to create limited edition pieces out their waste. Some of these brands include Delta Airlines, Eddie Bauer and even Patagonia!
Over the years we have purchased several Looptworks limited edition pieces. We have yet to have a complaint when it comes to the products we purchased and we have used every piece many times. When we purchase Looptworks products we like the story behind the item just as much as the the style or design of the item itself. We also only try to buy pieces that we will use frequently (or else we would buy everything!)
Here are some of our favorite items:
This minimalist upcycled wallet made out of Delta Airline seat material has come in handy so many times! Due to its size of course, it won’t replace a full size wallet for most people. It has been perfect for the times we don’t need more than the essentials filling up our pockets. It has served as the perfect wallet to take to places like the beach or theme parks. It has also come in handy while traveling, allowing us the ability to just carry the bare minimum while on airplanes or walking around all day.
The relatively small size is perfect for the times when all you need is a credit card, ID and some cash folded up. It is great for places like the beach or traveling where you don’t want to have a bulky wallet and just need the essentials. The greatest thing about the material Looptworks made it out of is that it is extremely durable! After all, passenger airline seats see more use and abuse than anything that will happen to a wallet over the years.
Looptworks collaborated with professional kiteboarder Sensi Graves to put to use some excess kite material and save it from the landfill. The kite material is perfect for endless other uses due to the natural durability and water resistance of the material. The images of the Commuter Tote were taken after MANY beach trips and it still looks brand new!
One of the items we purchased (and love!) from the Sideshore Collection is the Commuter Tote Bag. We bought it with the intention of using it as a multipurpose pool/beach bag. We wound up using it A LOT! Not only is it mostly used for trips to the beach or pool but also for random things like soccer practice.
Another Looptworks item we got to accompany the Commuter Tote Bag is the Beachcomber Bag. Being part of the Sideshore Collection it is made of the same excess kiteboarding material. We LOVE IT and use it to separate wet or small items like our cell phones.
Needless to say we are HUGE fans of Looptworks products and quality upcycled goods in general. We like Looptworks because you never know what they will come out with next and you are guaranteed to have something original that everyone else doesn’t have. Having high quality upcycled products is not only better for the environment but also means you have an item with an interesting story.
