TRENTON, NJ — Waste upcycler TerraCycle and bag-maker Yak Pak have teamed up to create a line of backpacks and other items made from reused vinyl billboards.

The co-branded items are based on Yak Pak's product designs, but are instead made with pieces of billboards, making each item unique, durable and waterproof.

“The only way one of these bags will ever end up in a landfill is if someone chooses to throw it away,” said Stephen Holt, Yak Pak's founder. “These bags are designed and constructed so well that when a consumer is done using them they can be donated or handed down again and again.”

The partnership represents a new direction for TerraCycle, which has mostly focused on partnering with companies to use their waste, and make the resulting products themselves. Now they are gathering the material and passing it onto Yak Pak, a company with almost two decades of manufacturing experience.

"We are shifting our business model to more licensing and working with expert manufacturers," said Albe Zakes, TerraCycle's VP of media relations. "The theory being, by partnering with top manufacturers we will make better, more desirable products and still keep our prices low. This will hopefully allow us to use more waste and more waste streams."

TerraCycle is bringing in and helping with research and development on the materials, Yak Pak is handling all the design and manufacturing, and they're both working together on sales and marketing. The bags are available through Urban Outfitters, and will soon also be at OfficeMax, a company TerraCycle's has been working with previously.

The line of products includes messenger bags, backpacks, laptop sleeves, totes and wallets, most of which retail for less than $35.