Rareform Duffle Bags (made from vinyl billboards)
Have you ever wondered what happens to a billboard once it’s taken down? Probably not, but when Alec Avedissian was in El Salvador, he saw his neighbors using billboards as roofing. It dawned on him: billboards are durable and weather resistant, made from vinyl, and are not traditionally recyclable. Being an avid surfer, he came back to the US, grabbed his brother, and found someone to sew a surfboard bag made from billboards. Several phone calls to some large billboard companies later, truckloads started showing up to their parents’ house. And so it began.
Today, Rareform, the company founded by brothers Alec and Aric, recycles billboard vinyl and turn it into unique, one-of-a-kind, durable bags and accessories. Over the past six years they’ve repurposed over 2 million pounds of vinyl that was destined for landfills.
Their Weekender Duffle is “a tribute to the timeless style of large volume duffle bags with a classic style.” It’s water resistant, versatile, and durable for everyday use.
In addition to duffle bags, Rareform makes totes, briefcases, backpacks, wallets, iPhone cases, laptop sleeves, and of course, surfboard bags.
Today, Rareform is repurposing 50,000 lbs. a month of billboard vinyl into one-of-a-kind products and keeping billboards out of landfills.