Wonder why we use Inner Tubes in our Accessories?
The first thing that people often say when they turn over one of our purses or open up one of our wallets is, “Isn’t that clever? They use inner tubes in place of leather.”
It’s true: we do use inner tubes wherever we can and we actually think it’s rather clever, too ;)
But there’s a lot more to why we use inner tubes and tires in the places that we do. Knowing the why behind something helps us see possibility in the how.
First, it’s no secret that inner tubes have a reputation problem. In fact, it’s well deserved.
Like the actual tire, inner tubes will eventually decompose if left to themselves (approximately 65-80 years).
However, that doesn’t address the fact that every year, we are producing billions of inner tubes with no after life plan. Due to their composition and singular purpose, there are so very few ways for them to be re-used that we want to be part of a solution NOW.
By using inner tubes in our accessories we are working to help clean up the problem, little by little.
Secondly, inner tubes are the secret behind the tires of the world that get us around. They go with us on vacation, they carry our “babies on board”, and in many parts of the world they keep bikes able to move people, valuable goods and even host adventures. They are hard working and provide us with access to much of our daily human lives.
And, like everything else around us, we are not separated from them. They are a part of the world we inhabit, together.
We see this as an opportunity because it’s so much more fun to see things with a fresh set of eyes. This is why we love to delight people with what’s possible.
When we began to think about our designs for our accessories, we thought of ways to create inner tube “surprises” in each design. In a world where it seems easier to discard as much as we can to get it out of sight and mind, there is something delightfully refreshing in finding new ways to make use of what we already have in circulation.
Just because an item is commonly used does not mean that it can’t be intentionally re-used.
Resources are available wherever we are willing to see them.
Inner tubes pulled out of dumping grounds and off the earth provide it with just a little more space to breathe and regenerate.
There are no limits to the world we can build, together.
