NSW Sustainability Award 2026 Nominee — Circular Economy
Bags Made From Recycled Materials Australia
Handmade in Tasmania From Sails, Billboards, Tents & Upholstery
RECOLAB makes bags from recycled and reclaimed materials that would otherwise go to landfill — retired sailing cloth, decommissioned billboard skins, abandoned festival tents and offcut upholstery fabric. Every piece is designed and hand-stitched in our Tasmanian workshop and shipped Australia-wide.
Our Materials
Four Waste Streams, One Purpose
We source directly from the yachting, advertising, events and upholstery industries — materials with plenty of life left, headed for landfill only because their original job was done.
Retired Sail Cloth
Dacron, laminate and spinnaker sails from Tasmanian and mainland yachts.
Billboard Skins
Decommissioned vinyl from high-end advertising campaigns.
Festival Tents
Abandoned festival canvas, rescued after the event pack-down.
Upholstery Fabric
Offcuts and remnants from upholstery projects, chosen for weight and durability.
Shop
Bags Made From Recycled Materials — Ready to Ship
Browse pieces already made from reclaimed sail, billboard and upholstery materials. Once a bag sells, that exact material story is gone.
The Process
From Waste Material to Finished Bag
1
Source & Assess
Materials are collected from yachties, sign companies, event organisers and upholsterers, then assessed for quality and character.
2
Design & Cut
Each panel is cut around existing wear, stitching or print, working with the material's story rather than against it.
3
Hand-Finish
Marine-grade hardware, auto-industry webbing and double-sewn, bound seams — built to last, not just to look sustainable.
Where It Comes From
Real Partners, Real Waste Streams
Every material we use has a traceable source. Sail cloth comes directly from Tasmanian sailors and yacht clubs retiring worn or damaged sails after a season of racing or cruising. Billboard skins are collected from sign and outdoor advertising companies once a campaign comes down — vinyl that's built to survive weather for months and would otherwise be cut up and binned. Festival tents are rescued during event pack-down, when damaged or abandoned canvas is the fastest thing to discard. Upholstery offcuts come from local furniture and marine upholstery workshops, where remnant fabric is too small for their own projects but more than enough for a bag panel.
This direct sourcing is what makes each RECOLAB piece genuinely traceable — not "recycled content" blended anonymously into new fabric, but a specific, identifiable material with a specific origin.
FAQ