Keen mountain biker Shannon Hames found a use for all the punctured inner tire tubes that littered her home when she launched Flat Bags. This accessories company creates casual handbags from an eco-friendly combination of recycled fabric and vinyl and bike inner tubes.
Hames says its “really important” for her to use recycled fabrics. “We need to use all these things that are already here,” she explained. While the bags are made from items destined for landfill, it was also important to Hames that her finished products didn’t “look junky.” I’m sure no one would think that of the Flat Bags! Hames uses around 250 inner tubes a year, which equates to around 15, 000 feet of rubber. She recycles many of her own tubes, but also sources them from local bike shops.
But it’s not enough that the materials are simply green. Hames’ fabrics are also durable and easy to clean, and as they’re recycled there aren’t too many Flat Bags that look the same. The rubber tube reinforcements are as practical as they are sustainable. The flexible material helps make each bag expandable, which is a real bonus for pack rats.
Since its inception Flat Bags range has expanded from its original Large Favourite bag to wallets, laptop sleeves, shoppers, and yoga bags. They’re available at selected stores in Canada and United States and the Flat Bags website.
