Freeway Billboards cover every mile of Southern California, so why don’t we upcycle these massive sheets of useful plastic?
Billabong converts millions of plastic bottles into recycler series boardshorts, so Rareform ran the with concept to resuse plastics into “bill-board-bags” and as much surf gear as possible.
Co-Founder of Rareform, Alec Avedissian walks us through the innovation process
1. Sourcing: Billboards are actually made from heavy-duty vinyl to withstand weather and roadside elements. They have the ideal protective UV coating for your board, and colorful pop with designs and patterns.
2. Saving After the relatively short life as a billboard, thousands of sq. feet of heavy vinyl is bound for the landfill. That’s where Rareform intercepts the material for reuse.
3. Designing:The team at Rareform collects the billboard waste, washes them, and cuts out rad designs for 100% unique patterns. Tha’s right, no two boardbags look the same!
4. Sewing: The bags are hand sewn in Ventura, Ca to fit most shortboards, fun shapes, SUP paddles and change mats/wetsuit bags.
They’re tricked-out with:
-#10 Heavy duty, corrosion resistant zippers
-Removable/adjustable shoulder strap
-1/4″ Foam padding
-Board bag hanger hook
-UV/heat/water/mildew resistant tarpaulin
5. Surfing! Boast the best gear with function fashion and eco-upcycling on your next day drip or global surf get away.
Check out the Reform line at SWELL
The Story Behind the Billboard Bags:
On an extended surf trip to El Salvador, Rareform founder Alec Avedissian spent some time volunteering in a small fishing village. There he helped locals repair their roofs using the re-purposed material from old billboards. This material, both waterproof and incredibly durable, protected families against the harsh coastal elements. This however was not the case back home. When Alex returned to the States he learned that all this great vinyl material was going straight to the landfills.
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