Looptworks is a Portland, Oregon-based company that utilizes pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste to create a variety of high-quality clothing, bags, and accessories. All of their products are limited-edition, and come with a lifetime guarantee.

In 2010, Scott Hamlin of Looptworks stated that, “the average apparel factory throws away 60,000 lbs of usable, pre-consumer excess every week. That includes brand-new thread, fabric, buttons, and trimming that is simply left over after a product is made. [Looptworks is] actively seeking out this excess and tailoring our designs to efficiently use what is available while creating a long-lasting product.”

This messenger bag (below) comes from Looptwork’s Alaska Airlines Carry-on collection and is made from an Alaska Airlines leather seat cover. “Since it’s upcycled, the Carry-on collection eliminates the need to make new leather, which saves [on average] an estimated 1500 gallons of water per product!” This particular bag saves 2400 gallons of water and 12 pounds of excess.

Also part of the Carry-on collection, this laptop sleeve is limited-edition, features a magnetic closure and lifetime guarantee. Its manufacture conserves an estimated 1800 gallons of water and .9 pounds of excess.

This duffle bag, on the other hand, is from the Loopt Classics collection. It’s upcycled from Langlitz motorcycle leather. Langlitz is a family business that makes the “world’s finest motorcycle leather”. Because its manufacture requires no new leather to be made, it conserves an estimated 6260 gallons of water and 3.1 pounds of excess–per bag!

Looptworks also carries an array of men’s and women’s designer t-shirts and Henley tops, made “from repurposed poly-cotton blends rescued from the apparel industry”. Each of these shirts conserves an estimated 264 gallons of water and .5 pounds of excess.

With their array of products and commitment to re-purposing what would otherwise end up in a landfill somewhere, Looptworks reminds us that with a little ingenuity, something really can be made from nothing. And not just any something–a something that is strong, beautiful, and durable. “Low-impact products,” they say, ” aren’t just about how they’re made, but about how they hold up. The longer a product lasts, the less waste we see in the long run.” That’s why they offer a lifetime guarantee on all their products; they are truly committed to being low-impact.