'FlipYarn' launched as first upcycling project to create sunglasses from flip flops

Parkville, an eco-friendly manufacturer of sustainable wooden eyewear, homeware and luxury hairbrushes, announced the launch of FlipYarn - a pioneering recycling and upcycling programme.

The project collects discarded flip flops to create a range of high-grade sunglasses and fashion accessories. 

The brainchild of brothers Hugo and Lucas Kaempfer, Parkville was founded four years ago to fight the use of plastics in consumer products, particularly eyewear.

Through its zero-waste factory based in Sri Lanka, it now wants to tackle the manmade flip flop waste crisis, a statement from the company said.

Flip flop waste has become a major ecological problem due to the role it plays in polluting oceans and beaches, killing marine life and obstructing vital breeding grounds.

Parkville along with leading beach clean-up and waste collection organisations such as Eco Friends SL and Rotaract District of Sri Lanka and the Maldives will collect discarded flip flops before upcycling them into innovative, fun and colourful FlipYarn products. These comprise of high-grade affordable sunglasses, bracelets, necklaces and keyrings.

FlipYarn is the first in the world to produce sunglasses from recycled flip flops! 

Once collected, old flip flops are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. They are then sanded down and the fully refreshed material is then upcycled and repurposed into accessories, the statement said.