Tag Archive for: Tyretube

How Ecowings got birth

The founder and driving force behind Ecowings is Kapil Sharma. In 2010 he started his first experiments to make products from car inner tube. We asked him how Ecowings actually came into existence. This was his answer:

How did Ecowings took birth?

I did my design education at Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. After that, I got the opportunity to work with Tata Johnson Controls as an Industrial Designer. Later I joined Autoline India Limited which had design collaboration with Zagato based in Italy. These two organizations changed my mindset and I realised I should work on something which can transform the current environmental situation. Right from the beginning I was interested in design teaching and later I joined a fashion design institute where I started a completely new journey towards a sustainable and aesthetical world.

Where did you get the inspiration?

Everyday on the way to my institute via transport Nagar which had lots of Truck tire seller who used to sell second hand truck tires on the other side several Thela walas (four wheel cart) people used to sell scrap truck tire tubes to earn their everyday livelihood. This everyday action used to shake me from inside and provoked me with lots of curiosities as what happens when these tire tube goes into incineration or further processing. I started my research in this area and took it on the next product possibilities. I found this material extremely durable and waterproof which was plus point to craft any life style product.

How did you start production?

Product design journey started with very basic tools and I started several experiments with tire tube. Initial prototypes were not very satisfactory but I had strong gut feeling this is something which can create a huge impact and transformed into a value product. Eventually the first three finished products came out and my father encouraged me to exhibite it in a Green exhibition fair. I realized we have cracked the code and it can go further to form a larger business opportunity.

We did exhibition at many places and we had great experiences and feedbacks from the audience. In 2012 Angela Rooijmans entered in Ecowings and then gradually things turn in different directions and ecowings got acceleration. We entered into export market and we determined to come up great quality products. Day and night we worked hard to achieve the best quality stitching and design and today we are known upcycle leader in Europe.

Read the article about Ecowings in the Better India here.

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Notebooks for ANWB

We got the opportunity to make our Ringnote notebooks for the ANWB. They give these as a business gift to a number of valued relations. Of course we really enjoy working with a party such as ANWB, since they are in the car industry. A promotional gift of discarded car tires fits very well with this.

Adapted to the wishes of the customer

The standard green or orange lining is replaced for them by beautiful dark gray felt.

 

Grijze voering voor ANWB notitieboek van Ecowings

And on the back is the logo of the ANWB:

Ecowings Ringnote voor ANWB detail

For the packaging we choose a standard (environmentally friendly) brown box on which the ANWB will stick a sticker.

 

You can see the result here:

20211208_111553

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Your bag is as unique as you are

The special thing about Ecowings bags and accessories is that they are all a ‘one off’. You can see the rough life of the car tire in it. A colored stripe, a repair patch, a fold, a piece of worn tire and a unique profile. It is the history of the strap that is reflected in the rubber and that makes every handmade bag or accessory unique. Just like you!

Car tire looks like leather

Car inner tube is a very good alternative to leather: it is strong, waterproof and lasts a long time. But above all, the material has character! Each piece of rubber inner tube has its own profile. Just like with animal skins.

 

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If a tyre could talk …

Rugged mountains, busy cities and small villages. Thousands of kilometers of asphalt, concrete slabs, cobblestones, gravel, clay and sand. A car tire encounters it all along the way. Curbs, traffic islands, nails, bottles, rain, chewing gum, melting asphalt. If a tire could talk, it would have a lot to say. They also have to endure a lot during those countless rides. Often the life of expensive truck tires is extended by patching punctured inner tubes when they are worn out. But what happens to them when they’re really gone? Every old car tire that ends up in the waste stream and is burned in the open air is one too many.

Tires used differently

With a little creativity you can do a lot with old car tires. We all know the tire planters, whether or not painted in cheerful colors and filled with nice plants. Often old tires also hang on the side of ships where they serve as fenders. And discarded tires and rubber granulate are very suitable for road verges, rubber tiles, insulation, (artificial) sports fields, athletics tracks, crash barriers, wall insulation, breakwaters and water control. The possibilities are endless.

How Ecowings contributes

Creatives around the world are finding new ways to recycle or upcycle old car tires every day. Tables, chairs, hammocks, lamps, works of art… And bags and accessories from Ecowings. Discarded truck inner tubes are being transformed in India into robust laptop bags, backpacks, women’s bags, belts, pencil cases, notebooks and wallets. In this way Ecowings offers local families in the Indore region a safe and permanent workplace where they are paid decently. In addition, they ensure that many inner tubes are not burned in the open air. And we are left with very special bags and accessories. What else do you want!

Do you also have a nice idea with old car tires?

Take a picture and share it with us via info@ecowings.nl

 

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