How many times have you heard someone bemoan the evils of fur, only to look down and notice that same someone is wearing leather shoes? Fashionable leather shoes, mind you, with a knapsack to match. The rest of us are often left discouraged, thinking that if the self-proclaimed "environmentally friendly" can't live up to their own standards, how can we? The environmental problem is so dire, nothing we as individuals can do will help, we think. But, of course, even the smallest drop in the bucket can help in a big way, and there are ways to make it somewhat exciting while we're at it. Remember those rubber tires you used to glide down icy hills at breakneck speeds with? Now you can wear them.
"We think our products are fashionable, durable, and reasonably priced, and at the same time they're environmental," says Extredz Recycled Rubber Products owner Kim Sawatsky. About five years ago, Kim, a former industrial designer, returned from a trip to Asia to news of a massive fire in which tires burned for 21 days. "I started thinking, 'What could I make with tires that would be good?'. It turned out I had to work with the inner tubes of the tires because they're more flexible. I made a couple of purses and handbags, and when I showed them to people in my community, they told me they were really neat products, really innovative, but that they hated the smell."
Eventually, over a period of eight months and after many unsuccessful attempts, Kim devised a process using non-harmful products that could remove the smell, as well as a particular method of cutting it, as rubber cannot be cut with scissors, nor can it be glued. He teamed up with his wife, Karryn, and together at their small plant in Brampton, Ontario, they began designing various belts, purses, wallets and even clothing unlike any that had ever been made. "We get letters from people who have been literally stopped on the street and asked, 'Where did you get that bag?', because they see 'Goodyear' written on it," says Kim.
"Hearing stories like that gets me excited; you feel like you've done something that's different. We'll never be a huge multi-national company, and I don't want that, either, I like it to be more personal. It's nice to send something around the world that's made in Canada, too. We have customers in Australia, Germany, Japan, Belgium, U.S., Puerto Rico, all over the place.
"I find that people care about the environment, and they feel positive carrying an Extredz bag. Rubber is an environmental problem, so you're taking something that's taking up space and doesn't break down and reusing it, and it'll last you a long time.
Instead of saying, 'Save the planet, buy an Extredz bag', we're trying to say, 'Hey, have some fun'. We're not saying you're going to save the world's problems by buying a rubber purse. Hopefully people will enjoy it."
If you want to help save the planet, in a funky and cool way, Extredz can be contacted at 7015 Ordan Drive, Unit 12-14, Mississauga, Ontario, L5T 1Y2, or at (905) 795-9205.
Curious about tires? Click here to read Goodyear tires FAQs
For a directory of other environmental products and services, click here
To reach the Complete Fashion Index, click here
Copyright © 1996 TG Magazine/The Students Commission
tgmag@tgmag.ca
