Why Gen Z finally wants Boomer hand-me-downs

If the garage door is up, ReMix It is open.

The very building — a vintage service station — signals the nonprofit store’s mission: to breathe fresh life to materials left over from local crafter’s projects. The just-launched store in Asheville, N.C. overflows with possibilities, all priced sufficiently low to convey the philosophy that there are no mistakes, only learning cul-de-sacs: bins of markers at 10 cents each; sheets of stickers (only one missing!) for a quarter; fabric by the pound.

From crafting materials to orphan socks to longtime standbys of metal cans and glass bottles, consumer discards finally comprise enough supply to drive matching demand. New processing technologies and shifting consumer attitudes are realigning the recycle and re-use ecosystem — in no small part due to pandemic-era startups that fine-tuned the flow of post-consumer materials to customers, both retail and industrial.

Retold Recycling, Inc. occupies the intersection of several key trends, channeling discards from consumers across the country to businesses that transform leftovers into new products.

Launched in 2020 by disillusioned cosmetic marketers who were annoyed with the inconveniences inherent in trying to donate their closet clean-outs, the company has now redirected over 130 tons of clean household fibers to new use, co-founder and CEO Amelia Trumble told Straight Arrow.

How do recycling startups turn old clothes into new products?

The game-changing insight is convenience. Consumers and small retailers buy (biodegradable) bags that they stuff with worn-out clothes, towels, craft tailings and other fibers. When the bags are full, consumers just drop them in the mail to Retold, which works with industry partners to pick out the occasional resale-worthy items and chop up the rest.

The scrum of fibers — from polyester to cotton — is pressed into a material called “shoddy.” It’s used for industrial matting, upholstery filling, playground cushioning and sports equipment. The shoddy is inexpensive and lets brands defensibly claim their products are at least partly comprised of recycled materials.

That demand for shoddy keeps expanding is partly due to the ever-more-efficient processing, Trumble said.

“Even in the six years that we’ve been doing this, the process has become so much more intelligent,” she said of the once-arduous task of picking metal zippers, rivets, hooks and buttons from the jumble. Retold won funding on season 14 of Shark Tank.

How are recycled blue jeans used for house insulation?

Five years ago, home building materials manufacturer Carlisle Inc. bought Henry, a small regional supplier of the Ultratouch brand of house insulation made from recycled blue jeans. Henry had been shredding jeans into insulation for decades, but Carlisle detected warming sentiment from homebuilders and home buyers and owners, Julie Eno, vice president of marketing, told Straight Arrow.

“We were able to scale and invest in Ultratouch and take it nationwide,” she said. The indigo blue insulation absorbs sound better than traditional fiberglass insulation and is kinder to installers’ skin and lungs, too, she said.

“You have the benefit of a recycled product that’s easier and better to install,” Eno said of the insulation, which is mid-priced in its category.

That demand and supply are finally in sync is partly pushed by government mandates and partly pulled by consumer expectations, said Tamar Makov, associate professor at the Goldman Sonnenfeld School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She studies consumer habits regarding used goods. Both Europe and California (via its Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024) are rolling out mandates that manufacturers that use textiles use at least some recycled materials.

Does buying vintage actually keep waste out of landfills?

About 57% of consumers would like to see robust recycling services, according to a 2026 survey conducted by the Recycling Partnership, an industry group. Once committed to sourcing at least some of their shopping through resale and other alternative channels, about 89% of consumers expect to continue buying that way, according to the 2025 Ebay Recommerce Report. Still, ongoing confusion about the erratic nature of the recycling ecosystem undermines consumer confidence in the actual environmental impact, the Recycling Partnership found.

For instance, the popular perception that vintage shops and used-good online selling platforms divert significant amounts of materials from landfills doesn’t actually play out, Makov told Straight Arrow. In fact, vintage shopping aficionados buy more things overall — both new and used, according to her research.

During the pandemic, middle-class, vintage-minded consumers had time to both review their own inventory and to sharpen their shopping skills. They might pay less money for their finds but spend more time and knowledge, Makov said. The net result: a smaller proportion of used goods is suitable for resale.

Why is Gen Z upcycling old craft supplies?

As shoppers’ expectations rise, shops are finding ways to up their game, Angie Houloose, executive director of the National Association of Retail and Thrift Stores, told Straight Arrow.

Resale shops, both online and on-site, are matching escalating consumer expectations with sharper inventory management that supports customers’ incisive searches, as well as personal shopping services that alert frequent shoppers when things on their wish lists appear.

Still, supply depends on customers looking to monetize underutilized or worn-out possessions. Upcycling anything “even mom jeans,” joked Houloose, elevates thrift to an art form — and fuels the cycle. Gen Z is happy to use boomers’ hoards as raw materials, she said.

“They’re making it into something that’s cool for them. Do they want the old stuff? Heck, yeah,” she said.

Even better if they can use salvaged buttons, lace, fabric and even doilies in the transformation. That’s why Peo Vee is gaining traction. Launched two years ago by serial entrepreneur Molly Waseka, the online platform aims to forge a channel for creative supplies, similar to what Etsy has done for makers. Built from scratch, she has 60 vendors and is gaining momentum.

The existence of the platform “gets people to think differently about what they’re buying,” she told Straight Arrow. “But the used option is not just cheaper. It’s more interesting. That adds to the value proposition.”

Destashing boomers are a reliable source of goods, but they aren’t only motivated by monetizing crafting leftovers, Waseka said. She has been heartened by the community that has sprung up organically around items like sewing patterns from the 1980s. Memories of projects completed and hopes for fresh visions for project abandoned accompany the flotsam.

“A lot of older women say that they have to get rid of things, but they want them to go to good reuse,” Waseka said. “People are supplies-attached. They don’t want these things going to a landfill.”

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