US shoe company Rothy's has launched handbags that it claims are made from 100 per cent recycled materials.
The series is the first bag collection by Rothy's, which is known for creating knitted women's footwear made from recycled plastic water bottles.
The handbags use Rothy's usual threading and a new fibre made from post-consumer plastics the brand said are sourced "within 30 miles of coastlines and marine environments".
Company co-founder Roth Martin said that it is the first recycled plastic handbag collection of its kind to use ocean-bound plastics.

"From a materials standpoint, ocean-bound marine plastics are less stable than our signature rPET thread," Martin said. "These plastics are degraded by sun, salt and sand." "By blending them with the rPET thread and using our knitting process, we create a durable, washable, soft and structured material that's a market-first for marine plastics."
Each bag is 3D-knitted as a single piece at Rothy's factory in Dongguan, China. The brand said this process creates less waste than traditional bag manufacturing, because zipper pockets, seams and edges are knitted, rather than cut out of fabric, which leaves offcuts.
The collection includes a tote, pouch, handbag, crossbody and three different catchalls. The bags are machine-washable and come in a range of colours: red, yellow, dark grey, light grey, navy, cream and green.
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