'The Second Life' Gives A New Purpose To Old Tyres In The Form Of Handmade Bags

Rubber tyres which are often dumped after use are usually not given another thought. But did you know they too play a role in damaging the environment? According to a Guardian report, the UK exports thousands of tonnes of old tyres to India, which are burned to make cheap industrial fuel, pumping toxins into the air. Disposing of used tyres in landfills is also not a solution either. Tyres emit methane gas just by the sun's exposure. So, they are not just causing land pollution but air pollution as well. But there are brands that are tackling tyre waste to give you a more sustainable wardrobe.

Now, who would have thought that worn-out or punctured tyre tubes that usually reach a landfill can be stitched up? These are chic, stylish and environmentally friendly bags. Raahul Khadaliya who has a design background puts the skills of local artisans to use and gives a new lease of life to these waste products.

Also Read: 'Rimagined' Converts Old Tyre Tubes Into Fashionable Bags

Talking about the process of recycling old tyres, Raahul Khadaliya, Founder of The Second Life said,

The first process for us is to segregate and clean. So, if we have an order, we go ahead with that. If we don't have an order, we kind of plan our production based on that. First, we cut the tyre tubes and then it goes for washing followed by a cleaning with coconut oil to make it more hygienic. After that, it goes into pattern making and reforming the final product. So, it depends upon what kind of product we are talking about. Like bags; each tyre tube gives us around three or four bags. After cleaning, everything is done by hand. We try and avoid using machine energy as much as possible. So, the tyre tubes are cleaned, pattern making happens and then it goes into final finishing.

'The Second Life', a purpose-driven brand by Mr Khadaliya, sources discarded and waste tyre tubes locally in Bengaluru. These are then upcycled and repurposed to produce stylish bags that cost anywhere between Rs. 3000 to Rs. 5000 depending on the sizes. Also, these products are only made to order. Talking about the sales, Mr Khadaliya said,

We have 30 per cent returning customers which is a very high percentage. But, for the bags, we are actually planning to put them up for made-to-order. So that the customers actually can choose the type of belt they want from the available waste material that we have and they can also choose the kind of function they want like a pouch inside or outside and all of that.

Also Read: 'Paaduks', Saving The Planet One Slipper At A Time By Recycling Tyre Tubes

Raahul tells us that when he was very young, he met with an accident and his recovery after the accident got him thinking that why not convert discarded materials into new products, because they too can have a second life. Rethink waste and livelihoods that is the aim of 'The Second Life'.

Sharing his journey, Raahul said,

My journey started in 2008 before the idea of sustainable products became a thing. It started from the larger perspective of sustainable development rather than sustainably designed products. I started reading about a lot of issues around sustainability. The words sustainability and sustainable development are very old. It was first mentioned in 1972. I read about that and the larger impacts, and the idea came from that. And the design background kind of connected with me.

'The second life' depends on consumers who make a conscious choice to go for a brand that is sustainable, and makes a choice not to harm the environment.