Ecoist

In 2004, brothers Yair and Jonathan Marcoschamer were joined by their mother Helen on a trip to Mexico. During their stay they were exposed to some fascinating handbags crafted from post-consumer waste by Mexican artisans . Inspired by this concept, the entrepreneurial brothers flew back to their Miami-based home and decided to develop a business making products from waste-bound materials.

Since then, Ecoist has brought together major companies, such as Coca-Cola and Disney, with fashion and industrial designers to make handbags and other products from post-industrial waste. Their handbags are made through a fair trade manufacturing partnership with artisans in Peru.

Most importantly, the company has made an impact on the environment, preventing more than 15 million candy wrappers and other waste bound materials from ending up in landfills. In addition the company has planted more than 100,000 trees as part of its commitment to plant a tree for every product sold.