Recycled with Style

Even the most eco-conscious, animal friendly consumer craves a little style; social entrepreneur Joni Johnson met those needs beautifully with stylish, durable alternative products created by re-purposing discarded billboard vinyl into gorgeous, trendy totes, portfolios, luggage tags, wallets, and so much more to accommodate various tastes and uses, while offering unique American made products with both impact and style. Johnson founded Relan, an online driven retail business, in 1994, applying concepts of high performance, earth friendly products she learned at her former career with Aveda cosmetics. Although recycling is in vogue now, Johnson was a real pioneer in the mid-90s. In 2002, Johnson sold Relan to Marlan Kuhlmann, who had the desire to grow it beyond the retail market into corporate sales. Tom Schaeppi was brought on as V.P. of Marketing in 2009, developing the social directing aspect and the World Bag concepts.

Since its inception, the organization has expanded to dual-purposed recycling plus philanthropy by donating specially designed large, waterproof World Bags to those in need in developing countries every time a World Bag is purchased! In fact, 40% of all materials received by Relan for recycling are allocated expressly for these invaluable donations.

Relan extends its ecological style action radius through collaborations with other organizations and companies, including Target, Coors, Miller, The Getty, The Smithsonian, Lexus, San Francisco Fine Arts, Scion, Blue Moon, and The Sundance Film Festival, facilitating their incorporation of earth and future friendly concepts coupled with sensational design. According to Relan V.P. of Marketing Tom Schaeppi, Relan educates corporations on practical, cost-effective uses of their own outdated, discarded vinyl billboards, which previously flooded landfills. "It's not only a pretty cool product, but a great way for these companies to communicate their message more positively," explained Schaippi. Custom products range from $2.50 to $140 per piece depending on product selected, style and quantity. Each customized product bears a label depicting the original billboard prior to the recycling process. Based on clients' needs and specifications, Relan designs and manufacture virtually any purposeful, fashionable design that can be stitched.

Schaeppi intends to develop more uses for the volumes of recycled vinyl. He has made it his personal mission to seek out people and organizations around the world who could make good use of durable, waterproof vinyl to create their own eco-friendly, cost-effective products.

Sparing landfills from literally hundreds of thousands of tons of vinyl from discarded billboards and banners, Relan has expanded its product line to include cell phone cases, wallets, luggage tags, camera cases, aprons, conference pad folios, koozies (cup holders), ski bags and umbrellas with bamboo supports.

Annually, more than 600,000 tons of outdoor billboard products are used in America. Those discarded are sent to Relan's Litan Warehouse, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 110,000 square foot facility, where the vinyl is thoroughly scrubbed by hand, then cut to easily manageable 50-foot rolls, which are shipped to TPI, Relan's design partner, for sewing. TPI, a logistically convenient 4 miles from the Litan Warehouse, is a strategic partner of Relan with its own 12,000 square foot facility, where designers can create an array of patterns, even custom prototypes. Sewers at TPI finish the product.

The totes for which Relan is most famous range from stylish sophistication to practical yet chic panache to demonstrate your good taste and eco-consciousness. Despite the variety, clearly Relan's World Bag is both the most popular and the most charitable with a one-to-one ratio of purchases to donations. Manufactured using recycled, heavy duty vinyl billboard material, each rugged and waterproof bag offers its own unique graphics originating from billboards and banners from around the country. Simple that's simply stunning!

So if you're in the market for a tote with flare or a promotional product that looks as good as it makes you feel, check out social enterprise Relan at www.Relan.com or 763.656.8552 for a special treat for yourself and the earth!

Photo credit: Relan