At the current moment, The United States has more than two million outdoor advertising displays, out of which billboards represent around 17 percent in the United States.

There are approximately 300,000 billboards currently up which can have the potential to produce thousands of pounds of vinyl waste almost every year. While the sturdy material is good for outdoor usage, it is not easily broken down after.

That's where the LA-based company, Rareform comes in.

The company was started about five years ago by brothers Alec and Aric Avedissian, who had first gotten the idea to turn used billboard vinyl into new products when they were traveling in South America and saw people using the durable material for roofing. They realized it could be used for other things too.

One of the major factors, (as with everything) was the money to actually set up the company. SO what did they do? Well, like almost any entrepreneur, they needed investors to at least get started, thus the suggestion to go on Shark Tank. After several interviews, phone calls and paperwork, they made it on the show and the investor Mr. Wonderful took them on and agreed to help finance with a loan. (To view their episode, click here.)

That's where the bags came in.

Now you are probably wondering how exactly these wonderful products are made. First things first, finding the billboard that is going to be turned into a new bag, wallet, phone case, etc. Rareform collects billboard vinyl from companies that are interested in repurposing the material, such as the Lamar Advertising and Clear Channel, and takes them to their warehouse.

Next step is to cut and shape the vinyl down from a 12'x48" rectangle into the new special designs that are then sewed together into the new product.

And voila, the end product is something that is not only waterproof, lightweight, longlasting and eco-friendly, but you can be sure there isn't another product like it (or at least not close). Each vinyl has varying degrees of wear and tear on top of different styles and colors, so no two pieces can be exactly alike. The company actually got its name from that idea.

For me, it's so interesting to see the things that people come up with to help reduce the amount of waste we, as a species, put out. Not only are the siblings showing their creativity, but helping the planet at the same time. If that isn't a cool way to recycle something that was otherwise thought of as useless, then what is?

If you would like to get your own unique bag, start by clicking here.