As many as 35 billion plastic bottles end up in landfills or pollute our seas every year. Each bottle will take around 450 years to decompose. Eco-minded brand Weaver Green has made it their mission to repurpose plastic waste into beautiful homewares since 2008.
The team, based in Devon UK, creates stunning recycled home products such as blankets, throws, cushions and rugs. When you touch a Weaver Green product, it’s hard to believe it is made from discarded plastic as there is no compromise on style, softness or comfort.
By shredding, heating and spinning the fibres of plastic bottles, founders Tasha and Barney discovered a new textile could be made. This new material had the softness and texture of wool but was also extremely strong and waterproof. Their manufacturing process has developed over the years and, along with being sustainable, their pieces can be machine washed, are stain-resistant and are durable when used outdoors. As an extra eco measure, items are woven using long yarn. This minimizes the risk of microfibres shedding from the textiles during washing.
During the production process, 70% less energy and 90% less water are used because the synthetic material already exists. Weaver Green fine-tunes the process further by using a closed-loop water system that constantly recycles and reuses the same water. In addition to this, they produce heat for their dye vats by burning rice and wheat; which are by-products leftover from local cereal farmers.
The human element of the brand is just as important to Tasha and Barney. As such, they aim to ensure every person involved in the manufacturing process is treated fairly. The products are made throughout Europe, Scandinavia and Asia, with working conditions regularly inspected to ensure the safety of the weavers.
As of April 2021, Weaver Green recycled their 160 millionth plastic bottle, all retrieved from rivers and coastlines. Each discarded bottle has been repurposed into something beautiful and given a second chance; this time each one will have a long and useful life.
All images in this article are courtesy of Weaver Green.
