Alchemists from the past tried to turn lead into gold, but Seattle based company Alchemy Goods transforms discarded materials like blown-out inner tubes and old seatbelts into functional fashion items like bags and wallets. The company calls this concept “upcycling.” While recycling retains items to be used over and over again, “upcycling” turns something of lesser value into something fantastic.

The idea for Alchemy Goods came to founder Eli Reich when his messenger bag was stolen. Needing another one, he suddenly realized he could use the extra inner tube materials around his house to craft his own. With his trusty sewing machine, Reich created the prototype for an eco-friendly messenger bag, and all his friends quickly took notice and wanted their own. With increasing demands, he founded Alchemy Goods to develop and expand more of these sustainable, upcycled designs.