Sustainable backpack made out of uniforms

Sustainable backpack made out of uniforms

The problem

Every year hundreds of thousands of uniforms are replaced for new ones in Kenya, and what happens to the old ones? They are burned! Company uniforms are a normal sight in Africa, every store or office building has one or more security guards at the door. For example, in Kenya alone there are more than 500,000 security guards, 30,000 soldiers and 100,000 police. Moreover there are many rangers, safari guides and conservationists who wear uniforms, over 24 million uniforms all over Africa. Sooner or later these uniforms will be replaced. Old uniforms must not fall into the hands of poachers or criminals. To prevent this, huge piles of old uniforms are burned to this day. The result, a huge emission of Co2 and toxic smoke clouds, let alone destroying valuable resources forever.

The Solution

The Upcycled Uniform Backpack is going to put an end to the burning of uniforms! The uniforms of rangers and guards need to be able to take a beating, the textiles used are robust and strong, ideal for a sturdy backpack. Along with the uniforms and other collected textiles, 85% of the Upcycled Uniform Backpack is made of ''repurposed'' high-quality textiles. The distinctive pocket on the side of pants of many uniformes are reused on the backpack. A pocket can be found on both the outside and inside of the backpack. These pockets are ideal for small items.

The Kenyan company Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) works with local security companies and conservationists to save their old uniforms from being burned. Once at ACT, the uniforms are expertly taken apart by artisans and upcycled into the Uniform Backpack.

The Backpack

The Upcycled Uniform Backpack is a versatile and rugged backpack with one large compartment and two
smaller lockable pockets and comes with great features such as:

• 85% recycled materials: 1 uniform and 1 pair of jeans
• Cleaner air, because there is no burning
• Cleaner nature
• Fair wages for the local makers
• Trade not Aid
  
  

Collecting uniforms

The uniforms of rangers and guards need to withstand a beating, the textiles used are robust and strong. Ideal for a sturdy backpack. Together with the uniforms and even more collected textiles, the Upcycled Uniform Backpack is 85% made of ''repurposed'' high-quality textiles.
ACT works with local security companies and conservationists to collect old uniforms. The uniforms are then expertly taken apart and upcycled into the final backpack by ACT's artisans.

The looks of the Upcycled Uniform Backpack.

The Upcycled Uniform Backpack is a versatile and robust backpack, tough on the outside, with a colorful African Kitenge touch on the inside. The backpack has one large compartment and two smaller lockable pockets that are taken one-on-one from the pants of the uniform. Discarded jeans were used to make the bag extra sturdy and the inside is different in each backpack, this is made of colorful Kitenge fabric.