Tucker Robbins’s Back to Roots collection proves that one man’s trash can truly be another man’s treasure.

Many pieces in the collection are handmade from recycled materials. The Indigo & Recycled Plastic Day Bags are crafted from plastic sheeting that is salvaged from the garment industry and cut into thin strips. Weavers compress the strips into round cords during the weaving process by pushing the threads together and tightening the weave to create a rounder shape. The cords are then interwoven with indigo-dyed cotton. Unlike chemical dyes, the indigo dying process is entirely non-toxic, furthering Tucker’s mission to limit the collection’s environmental footprint.

For each pair of shoes, Tucker collaborated with local Guatemalan shoemakers to design insoles from vintage recycled textiles, and the soles are crafted from the sides of old car tires. After the bottom tread of a tire is worn down, they are useless for cars and would generally end up in a landfill or–much worse–burned. Reusing the sides of the tires, which experience less wear and tear than the treads, reduces the amount of material that would otherwise go to a landfill.

A workshop for the mentally disabled sorted all the leftover scraps of fabric from the shoes and bags, repurposing them into unique coasters.

Reducing waste is a particularly important initiative in Guatemala. According to The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Guatemala City’s 40-acre garbage dump is one of the largest in Central America. Receiving about 500 tons of waste per day, the dump frequently causes dangerous fires from chemicals and toxic refuse, not to mention massive air pollution.

The use of recycled materials in Back to Roots reinforces Tucker’s belief that Guatemalan artisans act as keepers and protectors of their environment. This role is based on the Mayan tradition of recognizing the creator in nature. Tucker explains, “The foundation for Guatemalan artisans is the impulse to express appreciation for their creator. For them, they experience their environment imbued with their creative force. What they wear and how they present their work is an expression of gratitude.”

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