Alterist x ReLondon: Upcycling Tote Bags for Love Not Landfill

Beyond creating the bags, Alterist also measured the environmental impact of every design, providing an impact report card that showed how much CO₂, water, and waste were saved through upcycling.

Below is a look at each designer’s work and the impact behind their bags.

Clara Chu

Clara Chu transformed microfibre mop textiles and cotton scraps sourced from TRAID and local scrap stores into playful, imaginative tote bags. Her practice centres on turning overlooked household materials into fashion that sparks curiosity.

Impact per bag:

• 2 items saved from landfill

• 1.5 kg CO₂e avoided

• 2,000 L of water saved

Hannah Wild

Hannah Wild’s bags were made from 11 metres of reclaimed Commonwealth Games advertising banners, turning single-use marketing waste into durable totes with bold character.

Impact per bag:

• 1/30 of a banner saved from landfill

• 0.4 kg CO₂e avoided

• 592 L of water saved

Alphy

Alphy upcycled denim jeans, household textiles, bedsheets, tablecloths and scrap yarn, much of it sourced from charity shops or donated by friends. Each bag is a celebration of craft, colour and conscious living.

Impact per bag:

• 2 items saved from landfill

• 1.2 kg CO₂e avoided

• 1,600 L of water saved

Material Response

Material Response used damaged Levi’s jeans that would otherwise have been discarded, turning them into durable staples built to last far beyond their original lifecycle.

Impact per bag:

• 1 item saved from landfill

• 1.7 kg CO₂e avoided

• 2,268 L of water saved

Why Upcycling Matters

Londoners buy an average of 48 new items of clothing per year and throw away around 44, with many ending up in landfill or incineration. Projects like our collaboration with Re-London's Love Not Landfill show what’s possible when creativity, education, and circular design come together.

By gifting students an upcycled bag, alongside transparent environmental data, the project helps them see fashion differently: as a system we can rebuild, redesign, and reimagine.

If you have a project you’d like to explore with Alterist and our community of designers, get in touch at info@alterist.com