Freitag's Latest Bags Have a Funky New Ingredient: Plastic

The Swiss company Freitag, famous for using upcycled truck tarps, has a new line of bags partially made of yarn spun from plastic bottles.
Freitag bag
The new Cinnamon tote bag. The colorful panels and handles are made of recycled truck tarpaulins. The rest of the bag is made of material created from recycled PET plastic bottles.Tiny Giant

Not long ago, upcycling became ultra hip. It's now common in consumer soft goods to find apparel, tote bags, backpacks, and laptop sleeves made of material that was used for something entirely different in a previous life. You can get shoulder bags made of discarded sailcloth and pillows sewn from Japanese shibori remnants.



The Phelps.

Oliver Nanzig

The Rollin.

Oliver Nanzig



Carry On

A few weeks ago, the company loaned me a Cinnamon bag to check out. I used the 17-liter tote on a few commutes and shopping trips, where the design drew compliments and lingering looks. Behind the front tarp section, there's a stash pocket with a magnetic closure that's perfect for your phone and keys. One quibble, though. The Cinnamon has four straps: two handles, and two backpack straps. The tote-that's-also-a-backpack is on-trend right now, and similar designs I've seen let you unhook the backpack straps and stash them somewhere in the bag, like behind a flap or in a pocket. The Cinnamon doesn't do this, and the backpack straps are fixed. So if, like me, you prefer to use it only as a tote, you have these extraneous backpack straps flopping around. A minor point, sure, and you may not even think of it. But, just sayin'.

The bags are on sale now at Freitag's website and at select stores. Just like Freitag's other products, each piece is unique. Whatever designs, colors, and splotches of text appear on your bag are determined by whatever recycled truck tarps the company has in stock at the factory that day. The website lets you pick the individual design you want, and the stock rotates all the time so you can always see fresh choices. (There are usually plenty of solid color variants mixed in with the more adventurous designs.)

The Tarp on PET bags are not cheap. The Cinnamon costs $210, steep for a tote bag, but not outrageous for a one-of-a-kind item. But it could last you a decade or longer, and if it doesn't, the company offers a comprehensive repair service.

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