While inflatable toys, decorations and pools may bring us feelings of joy and celebration, they come at a great cost. They are never produced in a sustainable way. They break easily and are rarely recycled. They are difficult to creative reuse.

You can listen to my podcast episode on creative reuse of inflatables in this YouTube video. It originally aired in August 2020:

Joy and Inflatable, Round, Colorful Objects

Ingrid Fetell Lee’s TED Talk on the aesthetics of joy

Vinyl Recycling Facilities in North America

Vinylinfo.org

Wyatt & Jack

Update in June 2023 – Wyatt & Jack is now called Inflatable Amnesty.

Hear more about Wyatt & Jack in this podcast interview on Sustainable(ish).

mimycri

This German non-profit picks up inflatable rafts on the shores in Greece that transported refugees and makes them into bags.

Great interview with the founder of mimycri on the Green Berlin podcast

Nick Cave

Nick creatively reuses many materials in his work. In 2019, he made an exhibit and community event in Boston from inflatable lawn decorations.

Erik Scollon

Erik did an artist residency at the Recology program in San Francisco where he made items found in the landfill there. He made inflatable balloons from recycled jackets.

View this post on Instagram

I brought one of the inflatables I made at Recology to @glenhelfand ‘s P.E. UDIST class at CCA. We talked about physicality in making and in art. Some of the students were really into it. @recologyair

A post shared by Erik Scollon (@erikscollon) on Nov 14, 2017 at 6:43pm PST

Tutorials to Make Your Own Recycled Inflatables

Trash Fashion & Costumes from Inflatables

Junk Kouture outfit called Swimming in Plastic

Alligator inflatable made into trash fashion

View this post on Instagram

I’ll bet you’re wondering what this defunct alligator raft is going to become. The latest from designer Elvira Mental Werks for #oregoncountryfair

A post shared by Prima Debris (@hautetrash) on Jul 5, 2019 at 4:39pm PDT

Wearable art dress in the making – made out of discarded pool float toy plastics

Posted by Plastic Boutique on Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Show Details

• Script for this podcast episode about creative reuse of inflatables
• Trashmagination Pinterest board about inflatables
• The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade