Image Source: YouTube/Ekocycle

Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am has launched a worldwide initiative to help encourage young people to recycle. The campaign called Ekocycle aims to make green living and recycling cool and fashionable. These younger generations will need to jump onboard the green bandwagon to help continue the trend of environmentally responsible lifestyles that can make a difference to the planet we all share.

Launch Party

It has been reported that will.i.am had his launch party in New York City on October 24, 2012. The party was also the debut for the first item by Ekocycle. This newly unveiled item was eco-friendly headphones from Beats By Dre which are now offered at a price point of $349 and are made up of 31% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. This type of plastic comes from recycled plastic bottles, such as water, juice and soda drinks. Each item offered up for sale will display the Ekocycle logo and have an explanation of what makes it an environmentally responsible choice.

Jumping on the “Brand Wagon”

In addition to the celebrity endorsement of will.i.am, this new initiative has the support of many different major brands, including Coca-Cola, Levi’s Jeans, New Era, MCM and Case Mate. In fact, Coca-Cola has pledged a minimum of $1 million over the next five years to help fund community-improvement organizations and support recycling. It also has a separate commitment to give one percent of their entire operating profits to charity through their Coca-Cola Foundation. Ekocycle and Coca-Cola are pairing up to demonstrate that plastic bottles and aluminum cans can be repurposed and upcycled into content for high-end lifestyle products.

Statement from Will.i.am

In a recent statement in support of the Ekocycle campaign, will.i.am said, “Waste is only waste if we waste it. We need to value the things we consume and become a more sustainable society that is moving towards a world with zero waste… If you think about (recycled) products now, none of them are cool. You have to bring some art and fashion sensibility into this technology that turns a bottle into something cool… All good things must end, but an end can be a new start.”

Upcoming Products

Ekocycle has also released other products, including two different hats from New Era that have blended a traditional polyester fabric with recycled fabric. Case-Mate has just released a “Barely There” case that is molded from 100% PET and is now on sale at Best Buy for $35. Levi’s Jeans will also release a limited-edition version of jeans that use an average of eight recycled plastic bottles in their construction. Recent ads have also shown peeks of other luxury items expected to be released, including a suitcase, sunglasses and a chair. The Ekocycle campaign has truly just begun and only time will tell what exactly the not yet released product lines will entail. However, with the celebrity support of will.i.am and the huge brand names that are backing it, Ekocycle is sure to be a success. Hopefully the generations coming up will soon realize the importance of eco-living, reuse, recycling and not wasting.