WHO would have thought empty milk and juice cartons can actually be transformed into something useful like wallets.

With a few folds, adhesive and Velcro, the US company Milkmuny has turned these discards into clever origami-esque wallets and at the same time, spread the word on recycling and generate funds for schools and the environment.

In the five months that the company has been running, it has sold hundreds of these snazzy-looking wallets over the Internet (milkmuny.com).

"Our wallets are used everyday and are amazing conversation starters, being so unique, fashionable and useful.

" It's a great way to spread awareness and excitement for sustainability, and a daily reminder every time you pull it out, of the effect that your comsumerism has on the environment," says Milkmuny public relations officer Summy To in an e-mail interview.

New usage: Made from old juice cartons, these wallets are surprisingly hardy.

Industrial designer John Schreiber founded Milkmuny in a reaction over the problem of discarded drink cartons.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that only 0.05% of the 510,000 tonnes of milk and juice cartons tossed out by Americans each year gets recycled.

These cartons are recyclable but it is a messy and energy-intensive process because of their wax linings.

Schreiber hopes his product will get people thinking about the real costs of their consumption, even when it's green.

"There is considerable talk these days about 'green' design but the vast majority of designs, both graphic and industrial, is still about promoting consumption.

"It's ironic that we continue to dispose of existing products and materials like computers or radios in order to purchase 'greener' ones.

"I wanted to challenge traditional design thinking and create a mass-produced product that didn't expend more energy to create or require more resources to produce, but was aesthetically pleasing and uncompromisingly functional."

The 7.5cm by 10cm wallets have four accordion pockets and Velcro closures. Tape-reinforced folds make them wear-proof.

They are made by a proprietary hand-powered rotary die cut that was designed and engineered by Schreiber.

Milkmuny does not see turning cartons into wallets as merely delaying their journey to the landfill.

"With our wallets, we are encouraging recycling and hopefully, diverting people from buying other types of wallets that use new materials and are not as environmentally conscious in their production. One of the main goals of Milkmuny is to create awareness and encourage people to become involved in their communities to get more of these recycled," says To.

But the million-dollar question is: how long do the wallets last? And can they still be sent for recycling after that?

"To date, we are still using wallets we produced over a year ago," says To.

"We like to say that Milkmuny wallets wear in but they don't wear out. To make sure they get recycled, we buy them back through a discount on the next wallet purchased and make sure they are recycled properly for those people who don't live in areas where paper cartons are recycled."

The venture also benefits schools and non-profits as Milkmuny pays them for collected cartons.

It has also joined the One Percent For The Planet movement, and has pledged 1% of all sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment.