A story from Springwise about a company that has found a creative way to use old fire hoses and make some money for nonprofits in the process.
An excerpt.
“Back in 2006 we covered German Feuerwear, which creates bags and belts from used fire hose. Feuerwear is still going strong, but we couldn't resist mentioning a similar venture we recently came across in the UK that expands the notion and adds a charitable twist.
“Much like Feuerwear, Elvis & Kresse crafts high-fashion bags, belts and other accessories from used fire hose collected across the UK. The company also goes beyond fire hose, however, and reclaims various types of other industrial waste materials as well, including coffee sacks, sail cloth, air traffic control flight strips, optician's boxes, parachute silk and office furniture textiles. Fabrics including the parachute silk, for example, are used to line Elvis & Kresse's wallets and bags; many of the other materials are used in its packaging. The company has reclaimed some 45 tons of waste materials so far, it says. Elvis & Kresse donates 50 percent of the profits from its fire-hose line to the Fire Fighters Charity. It's also supporting two separate coffee grower initiatives in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Elvis & Kresse items are available both online and from select retailers in England, Wales, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Australia; pricing begins at GBP 18.50 for a fire hose-based key ring.”
About
- David H. Lukenbill
- I am a California native, married, we have one daughter and live close to the American River with two cats and all the wild critters we can feed. I am a management consultant to nonprofit organizations and have an Associates of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Sacramento City College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Public Administration degree, also from the University of San Francisco.