Our transition to Imperfect Foods in September of 2019 came with a lot of changes. We not only updated our website and expanded into other aisles of the grocery store, but had to reprint anything that contained our old logo or name. This left us with a lot of out-of-date merch and swag. Since our company is dedicated to reducing waste in the food system, we started wondering: How can we give these old materials new life so they donโt end up in a landfill? After all, weโve worked with packaged food companies to find a home for their old inventory after a rebrand before. So why not find a company that could help us do the same through upcycling?
Thatโs when we met Rewilder, an LA-based small business that works to reduce types of waste that most of us never think about. They agreed to work with us to upcycle our old banners and tablecloths into stylish and practical tote bags that use a salvaged seat belt as the strap.
Rewilder makes bags and other items out of materials that would have otherwise gone to waste. This includes items like filters from the beer-making process, salvaged seat belts and airbag fabric from the automobile industry, street banners, and old rope from rock climbing gyms. Rewilder plays the role of โwaste detective,โ always on the hunt for materials and fabrics that might go to waste and then using their creativity to up-cycle them into useful new goods. They focus primarily on bags and backpacks, but theyโve recently branched out into apparel, like a chic raincoat made from a silver material used to cover vehicles as they are shipped from China to the U.S. Their creativity truly knows no borders or limits.
Weโre thrilled to be partnering with Rewilder. To learn more about their innovative business model, we had Rewilder on our podcast and also sat down to interview their founder, Jenny Silbert.
Imperfect Foods: What is the process for finding materials to work with?
Jenny Silbert: At Rewilder, we flip the design process: designing from the perspective of the trash materials found, rather than sourcing new materials to fit a preconceived design. The materials dictate the designs, driving the styles we make and the final detailing.
Finding materials is like detective work. It truly starts by looking at the world with an eye toward whatโs going in the trash. In 2014, The Takata corporation recalled 56 million defective airbags, the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. It was this news story that started our research into airbags โ literally going to the auto salvage yard and pulling airbags, seatbelts, and liner out of junked cars โ and ultimately led to the design and production of the airbag backpack using pre-consumer factory scraps.
We also pay for all of the materials we use. This is a critical part of the current process and gives value enough to the companies that they are willing to work outside of their typical waste processes.
IF: How did you get started?
JS: I have always been drawn to creative reuse; Iโve been scavenging, dumpster diving, rebuilding, and transforming things for as long as I can remember. Rewilder is the perfect confluence of things that I care about โ high design and creative reuse โ and felt like a perfectly natural extension of my architectural work into product design using repurposed materials.
My professional background is in Architecture and Materials R+D. I came across the beer filter cloth while teaching a Materials Innovation class at Art Center School of Design in Pasadena. In my research, I discovered the massive scale at which it was thrown away, and was inspired to start Rewilder to divert this amazing material from landfill.
IF: What has your work taught you about waste in the U.S.?
JS: Thereโs A LOT of it. The volume of solid waste created globally per year is estimated at 2.2 billion tons by 2025. It actually costs more to sort and rehabilitate waste materials than to just pay for products to be made with new raw materials.ย That’s the catastrophic problem with recycling right now. Thereโs an excellent article from NPR on the issue. This quote in particular applies completely to our line of business in up-cycling: A bottle made of recycled beach plastic “is probably three times as expensive as virgin” โ virgin being brand-new plastic made straight from oil and gas out of the ground. This is one of the obstacles to circularity: It costs a lot.ย Rewilder is facing the same issue: it costs so much to take trash and transform it into something that people want, but it’s tough to compete with brands that manufacture at scale for a fraction of the cost overseas with new materials. Our current culture favors brands that prioritize cost over impact.
IF: From your perspective, why does upcycling matter?
JS: We are in an environmental crisis. We see it all around us every day in Los Angeles. In the U.S., we make way too much trash, and recycling is broken. U.S. export records show that 19,000 shipping containers of plastic recycling per month, once exported abroad, are now stranded at home. This is enough plastic to fill 250 Olympic swimming pools. It is absolutely critical that we become more responsible with our resources.
The response of most industries to this crisis has been to turn sustainability into a buzzword. We now have bamboo products, reusable plastic bottles, organic cotton totes, but none of these things is actually an answer to our trash problem. Weโve created and thrown away so much more material than we could possibly bury.
At Rewilder, we want to divert as much material from landfill as possible, continuing to lead the way toward a culture where we use and reuse materials that are already here, rather than making new ones. Our ultimate goal is to create a business that will challenge, inspire, and change the entire industry.
87 Comments
Kim Forgey
April 16, 2020 at 12:48 amI’ve gone to glass storage containers to reuse, instead of plastic bags or plastic storage containers that don’t last very long.
Chanlynn Liao
April 16, 2020 at 1:19 amI reuse film canisters to keep earbuds untangled ๐
Kaiya Lily
April 16, 2020 at 1:29 amI reuse food jars (from sauces and pickles, etc.) and store soups and dried beans or anything from the bulk isle with them. I also use them as cups.
Victoria Kilbert
April 16, 2020 at 1:47 amAll the soups! Whenever I find sad soggy loner veggies hiding in the bottom of the bin, I throw them into a soup. Whatever isn’t eaten hot off the stove goes into the freezer for a rainy day lunch.
Love my Imperfect Produce!
Maria Camilon-Price
April 16, 2020 at 1:59 amI went back to school to finish my degree after our kids were all out of HS. I had to take a science class and I opted for an Environmental Science class. I am so glad I did! We have more recycling in our home than we do trash, making it a point to reduce our carbon footprint. Vegetables like green onions, cilantro – anything imperfect, I dry out to use as herbs. Stale bread or crackers, we feed to the neighborhood deer that frequent our block. Jars of candles, I recycle as grain containers, vases, QTip or cotton holders and even a container to hold my anti-gnat concoction during the summer. Everything can be repurposed – and if one canโt find a way, share your treasures with others who could!
Melissa Stork
April 16, 2020 at 2:20 amIโd love to have a rewilder bag for my friend Nicole C. and I. Been with Imprefect foods for three months now.
Katrina Aune
April 16, 2020 at 9:28 amI save veggie scraps and bones to make homemade bone broth.
Sue Martin
April 16, 2020 at 11:07 pmWow! Great to know about the good work of this company! Another amazing venture from the Art Center in Pasadena.
Plexus Communications
April 17, 2020 at 12:48 pmlove this idea!
Faith Sedlin
April 17, 2020 at 10:42 pmAwesome partnership! So glad all that marketing schwag is not going to go to waste. And recycling to shopping totes is the perfect "on brand" thing to recycle the materials to!
Karol C
April 18, 2020 at 1:25 amI love using old clothing to make quilts like my grandmother did.
skyhigh๐ต๐ -
April 18, 2020 at 9:24 pmThis is so great to hear!! I was so upset to hear my boss threw our old banners away- its fantastic to know y’all are repurposing
Lisa Coontz
April 22, 2020 at 1:46 amI reuse/upcylce in many ways. I send my egg cartons to a friend who turns them into clay for making pottery. I reuse bread bags for dumping cat litter. I store my leftovers in glass containers instead of ziplock bags. I am the queen of turning leftover dinners into second meals such as delicious breakfast burritos, vegetable frittatas and spicy leftover fried rice.
Ray Yue
April 22, 2020 at 4:13 amI upcycle my cardboard shipping boxes into playtime activities for my pet Corgi. I cut out little pockets in the boxes and put treats in them to challenge him to search for his treats. I stack boxes on top of each other to create a tunnel for an obstacle course. It helps me save money, and my Corgi has so much fun!
Megan Root
April 22, 2020 at 7:06 pmI have a clutch from ReWilder that I love! I would love to have an imperfect produce tote!
Anna Maria Boร
April 22, 2020 at 7:12 pmI try to use as little packaging as possible (which is why I love the fact that Imperfect just uses a single cardboard box), but this is even better. I need to check them out.
Arabella Jenkins
April 22, 2020 at 7:13 pmI reuse all kinds of things (like egg cartons, cardboard, milk jugs, food jars) to make activities for my Pre-K classroom! They’re getting new, fun games, while I get to repurpose materials and save money!
Rachel Aronson
April 22, 2020 at 7:13 pmwe upcycle our recycling into toddler toys! Who needs stacking cups when you have deli containers?
Kelly Brolin
April 22, 2020 at 7:15 pmI’ve been trying to cut back on paper towel usage and have been using tea towels to clean/use as napkin. I also save most glass jars from candles/pasta sauce/salsa/wine/you name it to use with food or as an organization vessel.
Megan Root
April 22, 2020 at 7:16 pmI repurpose all my glass jars into storage in my kitchen!
Barbara .
April 22, 2020 at 7:16 pmI work to keep our city from incentivizing developers tearing down older homes to build new construction, even though we know that the carbon footprint of new construction is greater than using the existing house no matter how "green" the new house is. Plus, existing houses can provide the same density.
AJ Kosarek
April 22, 2020 at 7:17 pmWe reuse all kinds of things! Shoe box lids and phone boxes become trays for crafts and toys. My old moisturizer canister is now a glue jar for my kiddo. Scrap materials from projects are used for other projects. I upcycled my daughter’s too-small dress into a new skirt! Yogurt containers make amazing cups for just about everything. And now old t-shirts are becoming masks!
Jen Bloomstrand
April 22, 2020 at 7:17 pmCoffee grounds definitely go in the garden, I am a clothes-repairer, and use washable bags and hard whenever possible!
Tracey Young
April 22, 2020 at 7:25 pmSmoothies and soups use up fruit and veggies past their best. Glass jars are great for storing leftover and the second halves of citrus fruits. Cardboard boxes, egg boxes and the rolls from toilet or kitchen paper piled up, folded and sprinkled with dog kibble makes for a great puzzle to keep the dog occupied.
Alexis Wiggins
April 22, 2020 at 7:30 pmI use most scraps in my compost. I upcycle glass into small planters, knick knacks containers, or cut them into glasses or funnels.
We dry citrus peels for teas
Rebecca Weiss
April 22, 2020 at 7:34 pmI’m planning to reuse my imperfect boxes as moving boxes when I move apartments in a month!
Bethanne Runyan
April 22, 2020 at 7:59 pmWe put coffee grounds in the garden and reuse glass jars for food storage!
Jamie Joy Gatto
April 22, 2020 at 8:05 pmLove these tote bags! Will you be selling the totes on your website?
One way I like to recycle packaging from Imperfect Foods is to re-use the silver bags that come with chilled foods in my weekly box. I reuse them as liners for totes I take to the grocery to help my groceries stay cooler on the way home. I also use the silver bags to wrap/store delicate things at home — such as glass holiday ornaments, and glass crafting supplies.
I love the ideas posted here and will be back to read more.
Krista Neumann
April 22, 2020 at 8:05 pmI reuse most of my cosmetic and packaged food containers and re-purpose them as to go or travel-sized ones. At the same, I’ve also been transitioning to buying more in bulk and creating homemade products so these up-cycled containers come in handy.
I’ve also been saving my Imperfect (and other boxes) to reuse in an upcoming move – they really are a perfect size!
Sarah Maddigan
April 22, 2020 at 8:15 pmThis reuse/recycle of marketing material is making me so happy!
I make my own veg broth with my food scraps, reuse all of my glass jars to hold my dry beans and grains that I buy in bulk. I make my own cleaning products, stored in reusable plastic spray bottles and jugs. I also make laundry detergent, stored in ice cream buckets.
Lane Thompson
April 22, 2020 at 8:51 pmThank you Imperfect for introducing us to Rewilder!
Like many, I save glass and plastic jars to hold leftovers or to send friends & family home with treats. Worn out clothes past repair are cut into house rags for a myriad of uses. The city I live in finally starting accepting compost (!!!) and when clothes no longer fit but still have "life" in them I give to my sister or family to wear instead of the landfill/goodwill.
Alicia Williams
April 22, 2020 at 9:08 pmFantastic partnership!
Ruxandra Niculescu
April 22, 2020 at 9:09 pmThis is such a great idea! Thanks for recycling the marketing material into some really rad tote bags.
For me, I’ve recently gotten into making mini planter boxes out of plastic containers. I’ve been currently converting one gallon water jugs into fish and crabs with a little help from a hot glue gun and some paint. This weekend they’ll get some seedlings and the vegetable and flower garden will get some colorful additions!
I’ve also been making those glass mushrooms with bowls and vases people have been giving away on FB Marketplace. It’s always something I wanted to try and it’s amazing how many of these would otherwise get thrown away!
Beth Richter
April 22, 2020 at 9:12 pmI have found my imperfect boxes make for great recycling bins, plant stands, and boxes for storing things my garage! Would love to add an Imperfect tote to my reusable grocery totes.
Coleen Foley
April 22, 2020 at 9:14 pmCoffee grounds get used in the gardens and glass jars get reused for rooting plants.
Keep up the good work
Kelsey Lumbard
April 22, 2020 at 9:19 pmI love this idea!! Re-using materials that you already have to further make something new. The tote bags are so cute and I would love to be able to get one. I love to buy local ingredients and use as much of the individual food items as I can, and if I can’t or something is inedible, I turn it into mulch and compost material. I also recycle everything I can and I turn old glass jars like from spaghetti sauce- into glasses to drink out of and put flowers and I plant my own veggies. I also take them to the store to be able to be used as my container to get things out of the bulk bins. In addition, I donate any old clothing I’m not wearing or I tear up old tshirts and sew them to make a blanket give to someone. I also walk or bike everywhere and only take transit if I absolutely must. The boxes that my imperfect food comes in either get recycled or I have also donated them to friends/neighbors who are moving. I also am very resistant to use papertowels or napkins, so I use towels to clean up and then throw those into the wash once a month. I could go on and on but those are just some of my examples of recycling and reusing. I loved reading this article and I agree, things are better when you can upcycle them and when you can go on scavenger hunts to find new uses for things!
Kelsey Lumbard
April 22, 2020 at 9:20 pmI love this idea!! Re-using materials that you already have to further make something new. The tote bags are so cute and I would love to be able to get one. I love to buy local ingredients and use as much of the individual food items as I can, and if I can’t or something is inedible, I turn it into mulch and compost material. I also recycle everything I can and I turn old glass jars like from spaghetti sauce- into glasses to drink out of and put flowers and I plant my own veggies. I also take them to the store to be able to be used as my container to get things out of the bulk bins. In addition, I donate any old clothing I’m not wearing. I also walk everywhere and only take transit if I absolutely must. The boxes that my imperfect food comes in either get recycled or I have also donated them to friends/neighbors who are moving. I also am very resistant to use papertowels or napkins, so I use towels to clean up and then throw those into the wash once a month. I could go on and on but those are just some of my examples of recycling and reusing. I loved reading this article and I agree, things are better when you can upcycle them and when you can go on scavenger hunts to find new uses for things!
Dewayne Herrin
April 22, 2020 at 9:21 pmI LOVE THIS. Sourced from old materials, made into something reusable and useful for reducing single-use plastic consumption. Very cool!
Ann Daniels
April 22, 2020 at 9:22 pmI don’t buy paper or plastic cups for parties. I buy 8-oz. jam jars – washable and reusable, for making jam or pickles, or for your homemade yogurt, or for planting seedlings, or for storage, or for little vases …
Adrienn Hegedus
April 22, 2020 at 9:23 pmThank you Imperfect Foods to continue being awesome! Great to hear about companies like Rewilder. I personally compost my table scraps. I am a big plant fanatic so I make my own hanging plant holders out of old aluminum hangers. Trust me, I had a lot. Use crocheted face pads for cleaning my face, they feel great on the skin. Me and my boyfriend continuously looking for new ways to upcycle different materials. He is a big woodworker so we make little projects out of old wood pieces around the house. Anyway, great to hear and read about companies who truly care.
Winona Brewster
April 22, 2020 at 9:26 pmSorry I didn’t get my comment in before the deadline to possibly win one of your upcycled totes. I’m a new follower and am on the waiting list to begin delivery to my home. Maybe I can buy a a tote bag?? Anyway, I’ve been recycling my coffee grounds for years. Learned it from my mom when I was a kid back in the 60s. She put them on the garden, especially around the tomatoes and strawberries. And the roses. She said roses are hungry. It takes a lot of energy to be so beautiful. (Her roses also liked fish guts, after we went fishing. ) I share my coffee grounds with my neighbors, too. They’re not coffee drinkers but they grow beautiful roses!
Sally Mcgregor
April 22, 2020 at 9:26 pmBrilliant way to upcycle! Your bags are beautiful. I reuse micro-green containers Mixed green boxes by adding holes to the bottom, filling them with soil and salad green Or radish seeds. I water them and close the lid. In about a week they are sprouting and I can give a live โsalad in a boxโ to my friends. โค๏ธ
Sheri Williams
April 22, 2020 at 9:28 pmLove this idea of using commercial waste in a creative way – so cool to learn about Rewilder on Earth Day! Minneapolis is now a no single use plastic bag city. This sturdy tote would be awesome to haul home my groceries!
Marianne Green
April 22, 2020 at 9:39 pmWe collect plastic grocery bags from people and then knitthem or crochet them into reusable water-resistant bags and giving to the homeless. We also collect empty cardboard boxes and drop them off at the food bank
Donna Cosimano
April 23, 2020 at 3:17 amWonderful idea! Too long ago, I used to make doormats from heavier plastics. What way do you make your bags? I made my mats by crocheting them.
Glenda Wolin
April 22, 2020 at 9:39 pmI hope Iโm not too late- I just got the email! I want one of these totes so much! I upcycle by saving scrap paper and using it to take notes, which I do a lot. Then, when I can’t use it any more, I shred it and use it as mulch, under shredded leaves that look much nicer, in my garden.
Susan Kerrigan
April 22, 2020 at 9:41 pmA company after my own heart! We reuse and recycle as much as we can. It’s heartening to see a company doing this so well.
Tomas Botello
April 22, 2020 at 9:41 pmWe compost at home thanks to my mom. We even have a cute compose container for all our imperfect peels, grinds and more. Tomas Botello Austin
Rebecca Jean
April 22, 2020 at 9:47 pmThis kind of upcycling is very exciting! I’ve been making clothing from thrift store and junk shop finds for years. My husband and I are committed to buying used items whenever we can for our larger purchases, and I even upcycle materials in my artwork.
Katelyn Mayer
April 22, 2020 at 9:47 pmI like to take old shirts that cannot be donated and use them as rags. Once they aren’t useful for cleaning anymore, I give them a wash and then use them to stuff my cat’s beds.
Erin Roach
April 22, 2020 at 9:49 pmI love Imperfect! I recycle glass, boxes, cans, bags and paper. I use reusable totes at the grocery store. I carry a reusable straw and tumbler in my purse. I buy refillable cleaning products where you just add water. I donate clothes I can no longer wear to a women’s shelter. I’m conscious everyday to throw away as little as possible. I stopped ordering takeout from most restaurants because EVERYTHING comes in a plastic or foam box with plastic lids. Keep up the great work Imperfect! ๐
BreeAnn Crofts
April 22, 2020 at 9:57 pmI love this idea! I have reusable grocery bags that I usually take shopping. I also use old socks for cleaning around the house and for my bicycle chain care!
Pat Jones
April 22, 2020 at 9:58 pmLOVE this! I was raised to ‘Use it up; wear it out; make it do, or do without’. And then re: Cheaper new materials vs recycled…my question has become: ‘Is money the only thing of value? People are careful with those things they value. Let’s invest in the future of the planet & consider the value of being ‘wise stewards’ of this planet… caring for what it produces & its ability to sustain generations to come.’ I love challenging myself to be creative in fully cooking/eating from what’s on hand to avoid waste–& expense, giving packaging multiple lives, & sharing clever ideas in rural Africa on ‘up cycling’ refuse to clean the environment, provide low-cost materials, & generate a little income toward improved self-reliance!
Jeanette Ryan
April 22, 2020 at 9:59 pmLove the bags! Would even buy one they are so cute ๐
Tyler J Crago
April 22, 2020 at 10:02 pmThis is awesome!! You guys – that includes Rewilder – are awesome!! Just one more reason to sell everyone I know on you guys! Thanks for all you’re doing to make this a better world for all of us!!
Tyler J Crago
April 22, 2020 at 10:11 pmAlso, if you want a partner locally in Indianapolis there’s always People for Urban Progress (PUP). Find them here:
https://peopleup.org/
Maria Maras
April 22, 2020 at 10:15 pmWhat an inspiring story! I have 3 little girls so we are upcycling items all the time. Today my two oldest used cardboard boxes (including an Imperfect Foods box) to create separate study areas for their remote learning – they even added shelves! We also save any clothes that we cannot donate (due to stains or holes) and use them for sewing or craft projects.
Sue Corbin
April 22, 2020 at 10:23 pmAs a teacher, I’ve repurposed egg cartons to play games where children have to pitch a bottle top into one of the spaces and complete the task that is written in there on a piece of paper. I’ve used yogurt containers as word banks where children store new words they’re learning. Cardboard boxes are great for dioramas and story boxes. I could go on and on!
Lizzie Rubado
April 22, 2020 at 10:36 pmI think this is a really cool idea. I would love to see Imperfect offer more sustainable home goods — like stasher bags and stainless steel straws — to replace single-use plastics. Extra-super bonus points if we can find discounted version of these…because sometimes "eco-friendly" products feel inaccessible because they are pricey. Thanks for your work, and I think these bags are really fun and creative.
Jennifer Wilde
April 22, 2020 at 10:58 pmI compost my imperfect boxes all the time! I am also currently in the process of sewing my old sheets into some new dresses!
Oh, and I also found an old bookshelf on the side of the road that I stripped down and made into a raised garden bed so i’m proud of that!
Upcycle when you can! "Trash" can be made into treasure!
amy white
April 22, 2020 at 11:13 pmLOVE the upcycled materials. Please enter me for a bag! I’m a composter. I have a big one that I made with chicken wire and 4 x 4s that holds all my yard waste and kitchen scraps. It was inexpensive to make and holds a ton. I spread the compost around my garden and don’t have to take the leaves to the curb or take out the trash as often.
Staci Norman
April 22, 2020 at 11:15 pmI reuse my glass moisturizer containers for all of the small things my kids love to collect: marbles, beads, beans for counting in their distance learning math problems, etc.
Amber Renee
April 22, 2020 at 11:16 pmMy daughters and I reuse old tshirts to make reusable shopping bags for our friends!
Marta Castaneda
April 22, 2020 at 11:37 pmI love what ya’ll are doing with the old materials! To reuse/repurpose I use a bottle cutter to cut wine bottles into different items such as drinking glasses (make great gifts), tea-light candle holders, little succulent pots, etc. It’s a fun activity and I can reduce the amount of glass I put back into the system!
Melinda Szabo
April 22, 2020 at 11:52 pmI get the Talenti Gelato and reuse the containers for food. They are so great because they are see through so I know what’s in them and the perfect size for one meal, usually soups. ๐
Minha Yoon
April 23, 2020 at 12:01 amI use citrus peel (from my weekly Imperfect Foods box!) and soak them in vinegar for a few days. I dilute the citrus-infused vinegar 1:1 ratio with water and use it as an all-purpose cleaner around the house.
Danielle Wagner
April 23, 2020 at 12:13 amI love this idea! I reuse a lot of things around the house. I make my own swiffer mop pads out of old t-shirts, reuse plastic and glass food containers for my leftovers and meal prep, and use the packing paper in my Imperfect box for cleaning mirrors and windows! Almost all leftover food scraps from cooking go to my hermit crab who loves those tasty little bites. I love all that you do as a company to help encourage us to think about our impact on this world!
Happy Earth Day!
Risa Robinson
April 23, 2020 at 12:26 amThanks for great ideas (veggie broth love) and Walking the Talk.
-Risa Robinson
Elkins Park, PA
Mari Gomez
April 23, 2020 at 1:30 amHuge ups for upcycling. Right now I’m transforming loads of old clothing, curtains, sheets, etc into face masks.
Carmen Hogg
April 23, 2020 at 4:10 amThis is amazing. I work in marketing and see lots of banners and tablecloths thrown out after events. I’m going to find ways to repurpose them now. At home we do this already, repurpose t-shirts into rags and towels, refill and reuse single use coffee pods and food containers, love hand-me-down clothes, and so much more. Excited to bring it into work too now by looking for ways to give our banners a 2nd chance!
Chelsea Madden
April 23, 2020 at 4:59 amLove this! Always looking for new ways to recycle and Imperfect Produce consistently has the best ideas. Iโve used old gym towels, cut them in small squares and make a solution of vinegar, water, dish soap and essential oils to make my own reusable disinfectant wipes. Can be washed and reused. Perfect now since theyโre impossible to find now!
Erik Ramberg
April 23, 2020 at 6:06 amThis is awesome; when will the products be available for purchase? I know my siblings would love them as gifts
Tiffany Jauch
April 23, 2020 at 1:32 pmThis is a great idea, the banners make beautiful bags! Reading this has inspired me to start looking around again to see how I can upcycle more things. Currently, I reuse jars from food we’ve eaten (pasta sauce, jelly) and then we use them as glasses, leftover containers and for my sourdough starter ๐ I also make my own chicken bone broth and am definitely going to try your veggie broth recipe!!
Tammy Taylor
April 23, 2020 at 2:39 pmLove this idea! We try to upcycle where we can and are looking for more creative ways with this situation we are all in. One of my favorites is to take jelly and jam jars, use them to brew tea, then pop them in the fridge. Much less expensive than buying bottled iced tea from the store. Saving larger jars also means we have great to-go containers to share leftovers with friends or when cooking for neighbors these days.
Dena Villegas
April 23, 2020 at 5:10 pmThese bags are beautiful. We use some of the kitchen waste to improve the soil in our garden. I’m def going to try to save the veg bits for broth.
anabel curry
April 23, 2020 at 5:38 pmI use all my veggies, root to leaf and what I can’t use up, I make into stock. I always make adaptable meals with substitutions wherever needed so as to use up what I have instead of buying something new. And I only use tea towels, beeswax wraps, and silicon bags in place of paper towels, plastic wrap and ziplock bags
Debi Talukdar
April 23, 2020 at 5:40 pmThis is so great, and the totes look amazing! I would love one! I use empty wine bottles for flowers, use glass jars (from pasta sauces etc.) for storing homemade jams, use meat scraps to make broth, and donate old clothing. I’m part of my local Buy Nothing initiative which is focused on reducing waste and re-homing items. ๐
Trina de la Rama
April 23, 2020 at 6:39 pmOoh these totes look amazing! Veggie scraps are magically transformed into delicious broth, while veggie bottoms go on soil or water for growing. We freeze lemon and orange peels to add to sauces, or to infuse into olive oil. Glass jars are reused for food storage, old clothes are cut up into rags and clean up cloths. We cut up old rubber gloves into strips to reuse as rubber bands!
Erin Corradi
April 23, 2020 at 10:08 pmWhat a cool idea!
We use fruit scraps to make our own drinking vinegar/shrubs and egg cartons and toilet paper rolls for seed starter pods. We also try to start plants from seeds (avocado pits, lemon seeds, green onion heads, etc.). We’re currently looking into making our own products that use plastic packaging, like sour cream and cottage cheese.
Jeannie Willoughby
April 23, 2020 at 10:16 pmUse old clothes to make quilts also purchase imperfect foods btw are delicious
Amber Knott
April 24, 2020 at 3:02 amLOVE this! I’m so happy to see more and more companies taking advantage of all the things everyone else leaves behind. I’m also loving all the comments and the great things that everyone is sharing about how they reduce waste – I work for a city and teach citizens how to practice the 3Rs in their everyday lives and will definitely be "re-purposing" these ideas!
Ashley Abrahamson
April 24, 2020 at 3:48 amI love this so much! Glad those imperfect principals carried beyond the food here!
Ashley Abrahamson
April 24, 2020 at 3:49 amI’ve been composting, making veggie stock, and fermenting watermelon rinds into pickles to curb waste!
Claire Squires
April 24, 2020 at 11:06 amThis is so refreshing to read and remind myself of connections I have with similar thinkers around me. I generally stay off social media so sometimes it gets a little isolated-feeling. I have recycled and composted for years, tried to repurpose un-needed items instead to tossing them forever. I reuse pasta sauce jars I bought years ago to remake large batches of sauce and freeze it. I LOVE the use of coffee grounds to beautify and nourish the plants around me because there’s never a shortage of grounds in this house! I love those bags and would absolutely use the heck out of one if I won it. Thanks Imperfect, we need you, keep up the stellar work!
Christa Avampato
June 30, 2020 at 4:50 pmJust listened to this episode on the podcast and it is so cool! I love it! Are these bags available for sale, too?
Imperfect Foods
June 30, 2020 at 8:35 pmSo happy to hear you tuned in, thanks! While we don’t have any for sale at this time, we may someday in the future!
Shannon E Howell
August 19, 2020 at 7:25 pmI would love a bag. Rewilder is a fabulous concept – however, I’m sure my grandmother would say she and all her Depression-era peeps did this first!