Where most people see waste, Ari Serrano and JP Coulin see possibilities. These two unconventional NYC-based artists first bonded over their shared love of cannabis, creativity, and conservation. In 2024, the duo debuted Weedcyclers, a small-but-mighty company that transforms discarded Mylar cannabis packaging into one-of-a-kind wearable art in the form of tote bags, satchels, hats, wallets, clothing, and more.
The Problem
Brands use Mylar because it’s strong, lightweight, flexible, waterproof, and nearly impossible to tear. The downside? It takes hundreds of years to decompose. “I thought, how can I change this meaningless object into something meaningful?” says JP, and an idea was born. He collected used bags, watched sewing tutorials on YouTube, and got to work. Enter Ari, a fashion designer known for his avant-garde garments made from upcycled materials. “I was intrigued by the idea of doing something nobody’s ever tackled before,” he says. “So much of fashion is about status, and we’re breaking that mold by making cool fashion out of, basically, trash.”
The Solution
The Weedcyclers’ motto, “Picking up the community, one bag at a time,” only begins to capture their impact. They organize neighborhood cleanups, host live sewing demos, and partner with cannabis brands and dispensaries. They have Weedcyclers receptacles in more than 10 dispensaries, and their Instagram following is verging on 10,000. “We’re in it for the long haul,” Ari adds, in case the Weedcyclers logo tattooed on the back of his head didn’t make that clear.
The Future
Next, The Weedcyclers hope to rent a warehouse space where they can scale production—but they’re not stopping there. “In the long run, I want to have a Weedcyclers recycling center where we can recycle bags, plastic and glass jars, and everything else,” shares Ari. “I want to be able to take apart preroll tubes, use a 3D printer to make filament out of it, and print new tubes. Imagine if we could take WeedCyclers to that level.” Imagine, indeed.
