7 Recycled Kitchen Goods for Under $50

By AngelaColley (view all posts by AngelaColley)
at 8:56AM Thursday January 12, 2012
under Shop Smarter

^{Photo courtesy of betsyjean79 at Flickr}

Recycling breaks down used materials so they're ready for reuse. Upcycling takes recycling to a whole new level and creates something new from recycled materials. These designers salvaged old records, broken glass and even unused lightening insulators, and used them to create unique kitchen accessories.

Thanks to upcycling, you can accessorize your kitchen with something different. (You won't find these items mass produced at a department store.) And do something good for the environment to boot. Best of all, every product costs under $50--so you can buy recycled kitchen accessories cheap.

Recycled Root Beer Cups - This set of four tumblers comes from recycled Boylan Soda bottles. Each tumbler has a different design, etched in glass. They're dishwasher safe, and you can get the whole set for $32.99.

Recycled Servers - These glass servers blend different green and clear shades of post-consumer glass to create servers in funky designs. The servers come in trios (with three separate sections) for $24, or quatros (with four separate sections) for $29.

Wine Decanter - This clear glass wine decanter came from entirely recycled glass. The decanter has an Old World feel with a large, round bottom and curved top, perfect for breathing air into wine. The decanter sells for $49.

Traffic Light Bowl - What can you do with an old traffic light? Make a serving bowl! This serving bowl is made from a traffic light lens, which was cleaned and buffed smooth. It has a rubber bottom to protect your table top from scratches and comes in two colors--red or blue. The traffic light bowl retails for $39.95.

Glass Insulator Shakers - Before the turn of the 20th century, homeowners placed glass insulators on top of their homes to prevent lightning strikes. As electricity technology improved, these insulators fell into disuse and ended up in landfills. But a designer in California has found a new life for them by upcycling them into salt and pepper shakers. Each set costs $44.50.

Recycled Glass Bowls - I have these 100% recycled glass bowls in my kitchen. The bowls are made from a green recycled glass and have an "Authentic Recycled Glass" stamp on the bottom, which makes them quirky and cute. Each bowl costs $7.95.

Record Coasters - Countless records were produced, and then music recording evolved and most people stopped buying LPs. To give them a second life, this designer cut the center label out and upcycled the LPs into coasters. Each set includes six coasters featuring different artists. They retail at $20.85 for the set.

What's going on in your kitchen? Have you found any cheap eco-friendly kitchen accessories you love? Tell me about it in the comments!