Upcycle Hawaii ~ A Peek Inside their Big Island Studio

Remember that artist, Mattie Mae Larson of Upcycle Hawaii, that I told you was living my dream in Hawaii!? Well, I never would’ve imagined when writing that post, that one year later, I would actually have the opportunity to travel to the Big Island to meet her (and Pua!) to get a glimpse into her business, Upcycle Hawaii, and her tireless efforts to help our planet.

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Mattie Mae and Pua of Upcycle Hawaii.

We visited Mattie Mae’s studio in Hilo, where she is always hard at work upcycling materials and designing innovative, one-of-a-kind products using marine debris and post-consumer waste.

In addition, we travelled to the front lines of one of the most plastic polluted shorelines in the world, where she frequently gathers portions of ghost nets to use in her products and routinely participates in beach clean-ups (click here to read about the experience).

You can help make a difference!  Donate to Upcycle Hawaii (through GoFundMe) to help their business grow and further spread their mission! 

Mattie Mae has turned her passion to help the earth, into Upcycle Hawaii, a thriving business, which offers a variety of unique, handmade items created using materials otherwise thought of as “trash.”

I’m excited to take you inside her Upcycle Hawaii studio to get a closer look at her truly incredible efforts to help our planet.

Inside the Studio

Before even entering Upcycle Hawaii’s studio, there is a subtle sign of just how much Mattie Mae cares about making a difference in her community.

Attached to the door, are some of her colorful melted marine debris bookmarks which she hung there as a fun way to spread aloha and brighten the walkway for the kids that walk by daily on their way to the unit next to hers.

Welcome to Upcycle Hawaii.

Once inside, works-in-progress and pops of vibrant color are everywhere! You can certainly feel the creativity and energy as soon as you walk in.

Positive, work space vibes at Upcycle Hawaii’s studio.

Upcycle Hawaii moved to its current location in Hilo about a year ago, after outgrowing their previous production studio… and it’s not just gorgeous products you’ll find being made here either!

LOVE that color coordinated rainbow thread wall!

Mattie Mae has recently begun making connections with local schools to host fieldtrips, which share with students information about upcycling, marine debris, plastic pollution and ways to help make a difference for the planet. Love seeing future generations getting involved!

Marine debris: toothbrushes melted together.

Upcycle Hawaii has been quite busy since opening and the demand for their products rapidly doubled in 2019. Their items can now be found in locally owned shops on the Big Island, Oahu and Kauai, and there are plans to enter the Japanese market this year.

If I were a piece of post-consumer sheet plastic or a section of a ghost net washed ashore, Upcycle Hawaii is exactly the place I’d hope to find myself!

A New Life for Plastic Packaging

To upcycle something means to take a material that has been discarded, or is considered “waste,” and turn it into something of higher value than the original item… a task Upcycle Hawaii is extremely good at.

The majority of items shipped to the Hawaiian Islands are wrapped in sheet plastics to prevent damage and spilling along their miles’ long journey to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

You can help make a difference!  Donate to Upcycle Hawaii (through GoFundMe) to help their business grow and further spread their mission! 

Local businesses have no use for the plastic wrap once the shipment arrives. There are currently no recycling options for sheet plastics (and most plastics) on the Big Island and sadly, the only option is to dispose of it in the garbage. But Upcycle Hawaii has other plans!

Mattie Mae is motivated to come up with solutions for these problems and has teamed up with some local businesses to collect a great deal of their sheet plastic “waste” to use in her upcycled products.

Plastic wrap waiting for a new life.

Plus, it’s not just sheet plastics from local businesses that Mattie Mae is repurposing either!

Upcycle Hawaii accepts donations, from their community, of plastic packing from a variety of everyday household items, including bread, tortillas, toilet paper, paper towels and diapers. (Material donation details below.)

Colorful plastic packaging from everyday, household goods.

By melting together several layers of plastic with a process using heat and pressure, the sheet plastics are turned into several products including Fused Hand Painted Zipper Pouches, Plastic-Fetti Zipper Pouches, and Bring Your Own Cutlery Slide Pouches.

Hand-painted zipper pouches ready to be sewn.

The zipper pouches are versatile, waterproof, durable and each one is a unique work of art. I love clipping mine to the inside of my backpack when traveling (especially by plane) to hold my keys, phone, driver’s license, contact drops and lip balm.

Love my zipper pouches by Upcycle Hawaii!

Remember that diaper packaging I mentioned? Take a peek below at what Mattie Mae creates with them! It’s absolutely mind-blowing to me that she could envision a beautiful pair of earrings when she looked at those leftover wrappers. Unbelievable!

Living on an isolated island chain means space for landfills is limited, so anytime items can be diverted is a good thing.

Upcycle Hawaii is responsible for diverting over 12,500 sq/ft of sheet plastics from the local landfills since 2018 when they began keeping track of materials processed. That is quite an accomplishment!

You can help make a difference!  Donate to Upcycle Hawaii (through GoFundMe) to help their business grow and further spread their mission! 

Ghost Nets Reborn to a New Life

Another material Mattie Mae upcycles frequently, are sections of ghost nets she finds during beach cleanups along the shores of the Big Island.

Gorgeous Big Island shoreline.

Ghost nets are ropes/nets lost or discarded by fishing vessels. They get their name because once lost at sea, as they are pulled through the currents, they continue to “ghost fish,” killing a variety of marine life. Because they are made of synthetic materials, which don’t break down, ghost nets can cause damage for decades as they drift through the ocean destroying creatures and coral reef systems.

Ghost net washed ashore.

Ghost nets often cost thousands of dollars when originally purchased, however, washed ashore have zero value and are costly in time, money and resources to remove and dispose of.

Mattie Mae is able to cut and use sections of ghost nets that are in good condition, to create items of value in her upcycled, melted marine debris earrings, nightlights, keyrings and bookmark/ornaments.

More goodies from my growing Upcycle Hawaii collection!

Ghost nets are usually covered in sand, salt and marine life, a result of floating at sea for weeks. Before being turned into something new, they must be properly cleaned and the fibers must be separated, a time-consuming labor of love.

A snarly, tangled ghost net laying on the beach.

In addition to running Upcycle Hawaii, Mattie Mae is currently the Big Island’s Arts and Cleanup Coordinator for Hawaii Wildlife Fund, a local, non-profit organization that performs beach cleanups with the help of volunteers from the community.

Mattie Mae relays information regarding the nets she finds washed ashore so they can later be removed with the proper equipment and permits needed.

Photo Credit: Upcycle Hawaii (used with permission)

Ghost nets be warned… your days of laying on a beach in paradise are numbered… Mattie Mae is coming to find you to put your materials back to work!

Help Make a Difference

Are you inspired after reading about Mattie Mae’s efforts to make a difference with marine debris, and post-consumer waste? Do you want to get involved and help Upcycle Hawaii further their mission, grow their business and continue the fight against plastic pollution?

Check out the ways we’ve listed below that you can help Upcycle Hawaii make a difference!

Plastic nurdles.

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

The most important thing you can do to help fight plastic pollution is to remember to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.

• REFUSE: Refuse to use or purchase items that are not environmentally friendly.
• REDUCE: Reduce the amount of plastic items you use and/or purchase.
• REUSE: Make the switch to reusable alternatives from single-use plastics. Swap out everyday items such as straws, cutlery, shopping bags, sandwich bags and water bottles with earth-friendly, reusable options. (We love our silicone sandwich bags and straws/drinkware!)
• REPURPOSE: Come up with new ways of using existing plastic items or ways to turn them into something new.
• RECYCLE: When all else fails, recycle plastic and other materials.

Donate Material

If you live on the Big Island and would like to donate *materials to Upcycle Hawaii, please visit their donations page for more information and details about what items are accepted. Studio drop-off hours vary and items must be CLEAN and DRY before donating.

*Upcycle Hawaii accepts donations, from their community, of plastic packing from a variety of everyday household items, including bread, tortillas, toilet paper, paper towels and diapers.

Shop Upcycle Hawaii

In Stores

If you live on the Big Island, O’ahu or Kaua’i, or are planning on visiting, you can find Upcycle Hawaii’s products at several, locally owned businesses including:

• Big Island
  • The Lacavore Store (Hilo)
  • Island Naturals (Hilo)
  • Basically Books (Hilo)
  • Puna Chocolate Company (Hilo/Kona)
  • Pueo Boutique (Kona)
  • Kona Bay Books (Kona)
  • Aesthetic Gallery (Waikoloa)
  • Dolphin Quest (Waikoloa)
  • Elements (Hawi)
  • The Volcano House (Volcano)
  • Volcano Garden Arts (Volcano)
• O’ahu
  • Magnolia (Kahala Mall)
  • Homegrown (Pearlridge)
  • Global Village (Kailua)
  • Dolphin Quest
• Kaua’i
  • Island Soap & Candleworks (Koloa)

Online Shopping

Upcycle Hawaii also offers online shopping where you can purchase their unique, upcycled, handmade-in-Hawaii products.

Donate to Upcycle Hawaii’s GoFundMe Campaign

Make a donation to Upcycle Hawaii (through GoFundMe) to help their business grow and further spread their mission!

Donations will go directly toward manufacturing supplies and employee wages and will also indirectly grow product sales and help to divert materials from the landfill.

Show Your Support on Social Media

You can connect with Upcycle Hawaii on Instagram, Facebook and Mattie Mae’s blog.

I have enjoyed learning and following Upcycle Hawaii on their journey to reduce waste and educate the public on marine debris. I highly recommend you take a look too… you are sure to be inspired and amazed!

Mahalo Mattie Mae

An enormous thank you to Mattie Mae Larson for taking the time to share with me your community, island home, efforts against plastic pollution, and your creativity at Upcycle Hawaii’s studio to divert post-consumer waste from the local landfills.

Your warm personality, kind smile, positive outlook, endurance, work ethic, humility in service and genuine concern for others and the environment are a true inspiration (to name a few, lol). The world needs more neighbors like you!

Thank you also to Pua for joining us and allowing me to share the passenger seat with you!

Read about our other Hawaiian adventures:

Maui

• Volunteering at O’o Organic Farm 
• Maui Ocean Center, Aquarium
• Stargazing at Haleakala National Park
• Best Snorkeling in Maui ~ Molokini Crater & Turtle Arches Cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation
• The Best Luau in Maui ~ The ‘Aha’aina Wailea Luau, at Grand Wailea Resort
• Maui Humane Society, Beach Buddies Program ~ Volunteer on Vacation

Big Island

• Hilo Tropical Waterfall Tour with Hawaii Forest and Trail (Big Island)
• Kona House Condo (Big Island)
• Giving Back on Vacation: Hawai’i Wildlife Center (Big Island)
• Meet the Artist; Mattie Mae Larson of Upcycle Hawaii (Big Island, plastic pollution, marine debris, unique wearable art.)
• A Visit with Upcycle Hawaii to One of the Most Plastic Polluted Beaches in the World (Big Island)
• One Aloha Organic Shave Ice (Big Island)

Also be sure to check out our Top 30 Gift Ideas for Travelers. It is full of unique gift ideas for those in your life who love to travel… or to add to your own personal carry-on.  We’ve even included the one item we won’t go to Disney without! It might surprise you!