Plasticity is a Japanese upcycling brand that turns discarded plastic umbrellas into bags and accessories, while openly aiming to eliminate the waste stream that makes its business possible—so the company can “disappear” within a decade.

The brand collects used umbrellas, then sorts, dismantles, and hand-cleans them. Metal parts are recycled separately, while the plastic canopy becomes the core material for new products. Craftspeople layer and press the canopy into a proprietary “glass rain” fabric that is waterproof, stain-resistant, translucent, and visually reminiscent of rain on a window.

Production steps are distributed across regions in Japan, emphasizing local craftsmanship and low-impact processes from fabric through sewing. The company aims to balance accessible pricing with high quality and dignified working conditions, treating each product as a way to give “forgotten” umbrellas a long, useful second life.

Plasticity’s leaders are cautious about normalizing disposable behavior by making people feel better about tossing nearly new umbrellas simply because they can be upcycled. Their goal is to reduce plastic umbrella waste so dramatically—through awareness-building, partnerships, and educational workshops with youth—that both the problem and ultimately the brand itself would no longer need to exist.

ARTICLE: Plasticity: A Brand that Hopes to No Longer Exist in Ten Years

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