Discarded tires tread again
Jun 29, 2015 13:34:39 #
Jun 29, 2015 15:21:56 #
Been around for over 50 years in the Orient. Often referred to as Ho Chi Minh sandals.
Jun 29, 2015 15:59:32 #
"One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure!"
I think it's great and helps reuse what is otherwise going to be trash. S-
I think it's great and helps reuse what is otherwise going to be trash. S-
Jun 30, 2015 06:45:29 #
Can't view it in the U.K., but at least it's nice to see you supporting Auntie.
Jun 30, 2015 06:54:15 #
John N wrote:
Can't view it in the U.K., but at least it's nice to see you supporting Auntie.
See my post below.
Jun 30, 2015 07:01:23 #
I'm probably breaking someone's copright but here's the text and the two photos from the article.
It may seem incongruous to think of discarded rubber car tires as the source of fetching but functional footwear or fashion-forward furniture.
But from Kenya to India to Detroit to Sweden, clever and eco-minded niche entrepreneurs are turning one of industrialized societys most ubiquitous and difficult-to-dispose-of waste products (an estimated 1.5 billion tires are discarded each year worldwide) into weirdly appealing and super-tough items with a little bit of, um, soul.
Enterprising locals in Kenya have made a cottage industry out of hand-crafting so-called akala sandals from the pelts of old car tires. They sell on the streets of Nairobi for anywhere from $2 to $5 a pair considerably less than retail footwear sold nearby, and boasting 10 times the longevity.
In fact, Maasai tribesmen, who roam southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, have commonly worn these durable sandals also known as thousand-milers for decades to walk through brush tougher than rhino hide. And the footwear is trending mainstream as you read this, at e-tailers like Maasai Treads and Akala Sandals and soleRebels, whose $80 "tooTOOs" womens shoes feature outsoles made of hand-cut discarded tire treads.
Then there is Detroit Threads, where the Reverend Faith Fowler ripped a page from the thousand-miler pagebook. At Cass Community Social Services in Detroit, she employs dozens of workers who turn old tires the groups Green Industries division collects about 35,000 discards a year into $25 flip-flops with some serious tread life. Aimed at urban hipsters who are tired of the same old look, the sandals are designed by students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
In Mumbai, India, ground-floor entrepreneur Anu Tandon Vieira established The Retyrement Plan, where workers morph old tires and other recycled waste materials into weatherproof outdoor furniture that will inflate the ambience of any patio or three-season room.
On a whole other plane, a Swedish company, Apokalyps Labotek, is making durable and stylish flooring out of the 4m tires discarded nationally there each year. The company grinds the tires into a powder and through some sort of modern alchemy, mixes it with recycled plastic and voilà! creates parquet flooring as tough as a thousand-miler sandal. Tread lightly? No way.
Now, its true that Bridgestone and other tire companies are trying to develop an airless, recyclable tire that would end the disposal dilemma posed by rubber tires, which are tougher to get rid of than a Volkswagen Beetle. But rest easy theres no need to rush out and stock up on akalas. Its estimated that billions of old car tires remain stockpiled around the world, so this is one recyclable resource thats not disappearing any time soon.
It may seem incongruous to think of discarded rubber car tires as the source of fetching but functional footwear or fashion-forward furniture.
But from Kenya to India to Detroit to Sweden, clever and eco-minded niche entrepreneurs are turning one of industrialized societys most ubiquitous and difficult-to-dispose-of waste products (an estimated 1.5 billion tires are discarded each year worldwide) into weirdly appealing and super-tough items with a little bit of, um, soul.
Enterprising locals in Kenya have made a cottage industry out of hand-crafting so-called akala sandals from the pelts of old car tires. They sell on the streets of Nairobi for anywhere from $2 to $5 a pair considerably less than retail footwear sold nearby, and boasting 10 times the longevity.
In fact, Maasai tribesmen, who roam southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, have commonly worn these durable sandals also known as thousand-milers for decades to walk through brush tougher than rhino hide. And the footwear is trending mainstream as you read this, at e-tailers like Maasai Treads and Akala Sandals and soleRebels, whose $80 "tooTOOs" womens shoes feature outsoles made of hand-cut discarded tire treads.
Then there is Detroit Threads, where the Reverend Faith Fowler ripped a page from the thousand-miler pagebook. At Cass Community Social Services in Detroit, she employs dozens of workers who turn old tires the groups Green Industries division collects about 35,000 discards a year into $25 flip-flops with some serious tread life. Aimed at urban hipsters who are tired of the same old look, the sandals are designed by students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
In Mumbai, India, ground-floor entrepreneur Anu Tandon Vieira established The Retyrement Plan, where workers morph old tires and other recycled waste materials into weatherproof outdoor furniture that will inflate the ambience of any patio or three-season room.
On a whole other plane, a Swedish company, Apokalyps Labotek, is making durable and stylish flooring out of the 4m tires discarded nationally there each year. The company grinds the tires into a powder and through some sort of modern alchemy, mixes it with recycled plastic and voilà! creates parquet flooring as tough as a thousand-miler sandal. Tread lightly? No way.
Now, its true that Bridgestone and other tire companies are trying to develop an airless, recyclable tire that would end the disposal dilemma posed by rubber tires, which are tougher to get rid of than a Volkswagen Beetle. But rest easy theres no need to rush out and stock up on akalas. Its estimated that billions of old car tires remain stockpiled around the world, so this is one recyclable resource thats not disappearing any time soon.
Jun 30, 2015 07:25:44 #
If you saw the truck tyres in use in Nigeria they continue using them after they have worn through the rubber then canvas and the steel bands are flaying about.
Jun 30, 2015 08:08:36 #
Jun 30, 2015 09:52:02 #
Jolly Roger wrote:
If you saw the truck tyres in use in Nigeria they continue using them after they have worn through the rubber then canvas and the steel bands are flaying about.
When I was in Nigeria I was amazed at how much they recycle compared to us. It was a bit embarrassing to be honest. S-
Jun 30, 2015 10:52:23 #
St3v3M wrote:
When I was in Nigeria I was amazed at how much they recycle compared to us. It was a bit embarrassing to be honest. S-
I think that you'll find that recycling is much, much more common in third world countries and yes, it is embarrassing and puts us to shame.
Jun 30, 2015 11:01:43 #
St3v3M wrote:
When I was in Nigeria I was amazed at how much they recycle compared to us. It was a bit embarrassing to be honest. S-
Did you ever watch them "vulcanising" an inner tube. They used part of a car chassis and rear suspension as the frame. Then an upturned piston, into which they poured kerosine and set alight. This was pressed onto the inner tube by an ingenious level mechanism.
Tyre walls were stitched if they had split.
Jun 30, 2015 12:18:21 #
Jolly Roger wrote:
Did you ever watch them "vulcanising" an inner tube. They used part of a car chassis and rear suspension as the frame. Then an upturned piston, into which they poured kerosine and set alight. This was pressed onto the inner tube by an ingenious level mechanism.
Tyre walls were stitched if they had split.
Tyre walls were stitched if they had split.
If I remember, we did that not too long back, but yes, and it's quite fascinating to watch! S-
Jun 30, 2015 13:13:38 #
Just think, they will last longer now with steel belts other than the old rayon and nylon belted tires. Keep in mind they are not plagued with law suits and being all lawyered up like we are in the states. It's called product liability. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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