Who would have thought that billboard advertisement for soft drinks, beer, a new car — or anything else for that matter — would turn into such a lovely bag?

Environmental sensitivity in manufacturing is a hot topic in today’s world. But a Tucson company has taken eco-consciousness in a new direction.

Founded in 2002, Vy&Elle gives new life to used vinyl outdoor billboards that would otherwise be destined for landfills. The company recycles the material into fashionable accessories – a product line touted as “functional art” and sold at 2,000 retailers nationwide.

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Nicola Freegard and business partner Robin Janson had been eco-designers for almost two decades when they stumbled on to their innovative recycling concept.

“We were working on home interior projects when we came across vinyl billboards that inspired us to create items for everyday use,” said Freegard. Vinyl works well, she added, because it’s durable and waterproof.

They designed and constructed three handbags from the material and displayed them at an international gift show in New York where they received an enthusiastic response.

“Before you knew it,” Freegard said, “we wound down one company to form another” by transferring design knowledge from textiles to “industrial waste.”

The company name came about as a play-on-words, Freegard explained. When Vy&Elle is spoken quickly, it sounds like vinyl. “We wanted something fun,” she said.

At first the partners purchased old vinyl from outdoor advertising companies - one billboard at a time. As Vy&Elle expanded, it became apparent they needed a regular supplier who would provide them material in bulk. They met up with MetroMedia Technologies (MMT), a major manufacturer of digital outdoor displays, and now purchase vinyl by the ton.

“MMT became our exclusive supplier in 2005,” Freegard said. “We had unlimited access. Now, we’ve recycled 100 tons.”

In addition, scrap material from the manufacturing process is recycled through other companies into garden hoses and flooring, resulting in 100 percent reuse of the original billboard form.

The positive environmental impact Vy&Elle is making should not be taken lightly. Freegard reported that in the United States alone, 600,000 tons of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) billboards are produced each year. “Worldwide, we’re talking millions of tons.”

Thanks to Freegard, as well as Janson, who left the company in 2008, fewer oil-based billboards are making their way into landfills. At the same time, tens of thousands of people are walking around with Vy&Elle’s fashionable, unique accessories, including computer cases, handbags, wallets, cases for digital devices and travel bags.

Some of the places in Tucson that sell Vy&Elle products are:

• Bohemia, 2920 E. Broadway in Broadway Village

• Maynards Market, 400 N. Toole Ave. in the Historic Depot

• Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave.

• Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way

Items can also be purchased from several online retailers that can be found on Vy&Elle’s website.

When Vy&Elle receives the vinyl from MMT, the 14-foot by 48-foot pieces are set on pallets and cut into smaller widths before being cleaned, dried, repacked and shipped to factories – some in Asia and some in the United States. At the factories, the fabric is made into the product and shipped back to Tucson or directly to a retail client.

Through MMT, Freegard and Janson were led to a new niche market that significantly boosted Vy&Elle’s bottom line.

“An important part of our growth came when MMT took the concept to their clients, like Toyota and Coca-Cola, to recycle into by-products for them,” Freegard said.

Tote bags made from Toyota billboards, for example, are sold back to the car manufacturer, creating an additional profit source for Vy&Elle.

Freegard believes that end users, primarily women, like the look of the bags and the fact that each is one-of-a-kind.

“People get addicted. It’s fan based; there are customers who have collections. They like telling people the story of the bags.” And, Freegard points out, with the holidays coming up Vy&Elle items make great gifts.

Soon, loyal fans will have a new product under foot. On Aug. 1 Vy&Elle merged with Blowfish, a large eco-friendly shoe and handbag company that by February will start selling Freegard’s vinyl footwear.

“We’re looking at billboard shoes and sandals in the spring; they’re fun. This is a good marriage for us,” she said.

Blowfish Shoes generates $100 million a year, according to Freegard. Compared to her company’s average annual revenue of $2 million, she understands she’ll be swimming with the big fish. But that seems to fit her just fine.

Biz Facts901 N. 13th Ave.

Vy&Elle

www.vyandelle.com

(520) 623-9600

Blowfish

www.blowfishshoe.com

Christy Krueger is a Tucson-based freelance writer.