Upcycling used waders into new reusable products

We’re pleased to announce new reusable products, in partnership with Recycled Waders. We’re taking unsellable returns and upcycling them into new and reusable bags and totes. By partnering with Recycled Waders we’re teaming up to bring circular life to old waders, keeping materials out of the landfill, and putting them back in consumers hands as long term reusable products.

The Process of Upcycling Fly Fishing Waders

The upcycling process for waders

When faced with the dilemma of what to do with the unsellable returns we’re receiving, we decided on teaming up with Recycled Waders to turn them into sweet new upcycled and reusable products. Each unsellable wader that comes back still has lots of usable materials, between the fabrics themselves, zippers, and buckles. Each piece is assessed for usability, processed and cleaned before being repurposed into a new item.

How the waders are collected, cleaned, and repurposed

The materials we’re using to make these reusable upcycled products come from returns that are in unsellable condition, warranty (defective) products, and excess materials from production. They are often used, dirty and damaged. The first step is to put them through a thorough cleaning process. Each wader that is deemed unsellable and fit for upcycling is cut into usable portions, and then laundered in commercial laundry machines.

Materials used in upcycling waders

The tops of standard waders make great tote bags. By utilizing them in their mostly original form they can turned into functional tote bags for carrying gear to the car, or groceries to the house. The leftover material from the legs work great to create smaller items like the accessories pouch. An emphasis is put on reusing as many materials as possible, but each upcycled product does need some raw materials required, such as thread, webbing, finishes and some zippers.

Making bags, wallets, and other accessories from old waders

Recycled Waders has been at this game for a long time. We leaned on their expertise to come up with an intro line of two items – a tote bag and a small accessories pouch. The tote bag is great for holding waders, boots, and clothing, and also makes a perfect grocery getter. The accessories pouch fits a bunch of fly reels, tackle, or works great as a toiletries kit for travelling.

Benefits of Upcycling Fly Fishing Waders

Environmental and economic benefits of upcycling

We are choosing to do this as a way to keep materials out of the landfill, and put them back into serviceable use as new products. Creating new materials incurs environmental and economic cost, so keeping those materials in use for as long as possible helps reduce the carbon footprint of that material. Additionally, a reusable bag in theory can help eliminate the use of single use plastic or paper bags.

By minimizing waste, reducing the use of non-renewable resources, and promoting the use of reusable products, the circular economy can help mitigate the negative environmental impact of consumption. This can help us all save costs as well by reducing the amount of waste generated and by minimizing the dependence on virgin materials. We hope you enjoyed this information, and for further product information please visit the links below.