Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto.

Baxter Wood is a rain gear company with a noble mission – to stem the tide of plastic waste in low-income countries. It does this in a number of ways. First, its waterproof products use no virgin synthetic materials. Their gender-inclusive coats are made from 100% recycled PET, which comes from plastic bottles. Each jacket contains 22 bottles' worth of material. 

The rain boots are made with all-natural rubber, collected from trees in Sri Lanka that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This makes them vegan and biodegradable, and wholly different from the 99% of rain boots on the market, which are made from plastic, according to the company. As stated on the website, "If more companies used natural rubber, we could all reduce our need for petroleum as a raw material source."

Baxter Wood was founded by Ghanaian-born designer Kweku Larbi and his fiancé Sarah Smith. Larbi told Treehugger that he opted to work with rain gear because it's a market that hasn't seen much innovation.

Larbi shares the view I've expressed before on Treehugger, that upcycling plastic only makes sense when it's contained in an item that does not have to be laundered frequently, causing it to shed plastic microfibers into the wash water. I liked his use of the word "hideout," as if the jacket is a secure location for old plastic:

The company's environmental focus doesn't stop with its own goods. It also accepts all old rubber boots for recycling, giving customers a pre-paid shipping label and a $30 credit. These boots go to Michigan, where they're shredded and turned into a range of items from playground surfaces to roads to kickboxing bag fillers. "By using one tonne of rubber from recycled rubber rain boots to surface an arena, we’ll save three tonnes of C02 from being emitted into the atmosphere."

Larbi said that, although the company is a year old now, the recycling program only started in December 2020; however, a preliminary trial with 50 subscribers earlier in the year brought in plenty of old boots. He shared an anecdote:

Furthermore, the company donates a portion of proceeds to the charity 1% For Education, which provides education for children in developing countries.

The items are made in Asia, but as explained on the website, its production facilities are picked strategically based on their proximity to natural rubber farms and the factories producing rPET (recycled plastic to polyester).

It's still early days for the company, but it appears to be on a noble and intelligent mission with its eco-friendly designs and helpful recycling program. Check it out if you're in the market for new rain gear.

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