Because more and more people want to do their respective shares in protecting the environment, the thought of wearing recycled materials is now actually a welcome thought. Truth be told, the mere fact that as much as 700,000 tons of textile and 100 millions pairs of shoes are being disposed of every year in the United Kingdom alone is enough reason for people to be inspired to follow the rules of recycling. Not only will wearing interesting recycled objects make you a more responsible citizen, it will also show that you are socially conscious and eco-friendly as well.



These days, a lot of avant-garde designers are now using items such as recycled cartridges and paper to showcase their ideas and designs - and judging by the promising sales of these items, one can safely say that people really are slowly but surely patronizing them.

Take recycled paper, for instance. Did you know that there are now recycled paper dresses? Made out of 100 percent soy bean post-product paper, these dresses have even made their debut at television talk show Oprah and at Martha Stewart's show. Designer Rachel Sleight made a paper wedding dress, which was accordingly inspired by the beauty of Japanese origami. If you're on a tight budget but would still want to have a very unique wedding ceremony, this one's for you. Other developments in the seemingly emerging market of recycled paper for fashion include the fact that eco-minded fashion designers now also have their own event where they can showcase their unique works. Dubbed "The Afterlife," this event is usually a gala event where the main focus will be a recycled paper fashion show cum auction.

Fashion using recycled cartridges and inkjet printers is also making waves all over the world. Observers believe that the love for this seemingly outrageous style stems from Japan - the land of manga or anime. Japanese street fashion has grown to be quite the lifestyle that even down to the last bit of a recycled material, you can see that it has found another, renewed purpose.

Take the case of recycled printer cartridges, for instance. Did you know that tiny, corrugated pieces found inside the cartridge are now being converted into funky earrings? Japanese street fashionistas turn them into highly artistic chandelier earrings. Meanwhile, some of the other pieces such as the power buttons are now being used as either buttons on a neon shirt or as details on a leather jacket. Recycled printers, on the other hand, have also inspired the creative juices of fashionistas. Parts of these printers are now being turned into small name plates of sorts for a jacket (especially the part where the label or logo of the printer is embedded on) and again as buttons or details of a wardrobe. Bikers in remote towns in the United States now place these unique buttons on their jackets especially since these become ideal conversation pieces.