Ecoist was founded in 2004 and created with the idea to “merge design with social and environmental consciousness to provide stylish, functional, and durable products.” The founders recognized the need to create a product that was more than green, but also had a visual appeal that would make people want to have it and then go out and buy it. And true to their mission, all their products are made through partnerships with fair-trade manufacturers and suppliers, and using materials that are eco-friendly in nature, whether organic or recycled.

Jonathan Marcoschamer: My family and I took a trip to Mexico in 2004. While there, we came across some handbags made by locals using waste such as candy wrappers. These bags were quite beautiful, but also, we noted, environmentally friendly. This inspired us to start a business in Miami where we could take the same concept, but expand it by creating partnerships with multinational brands to repurpose their waste.

Talk about trash to treasure! Where the rest of us saw a candy wrapper, Ecoist founders Helen and Jonathan Marcoschamer saw a material that could be re-used to create unique handbags. And they didn’t just stop at candy wrappers, they also use food packaging, soda labels, subway maps, and newspapers to weave together their stylish, study handbags. Unsurprisingly, the broad range of materials have yielded diverse aesthetics: from the bright and colorful to repeating motifs. The company offers a variety of sizes and shapes, so the eco savvy can show their style with something as small as a coin purse or as large as a tote.