A brand new backpack made from discarded seat belts and airbags: how cool is that? It started as an idea by two recent graduates from Rotterdam School of Management, and now the first batch of upcycled Airpaqs is there. Next step: finding supporters to help kick-start the business!
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Michael Widmann and Adrian Goosses graduated last year with a MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) sharing a vision: to create alternative uses for discarded items. The friends say: ‘Our passion stems from two motives. Firstly, we are convinced that sustainable acts such as upcycling and recycling are essential for our future life on this planet. Secondly, we are fascinated by the charm and the singularity that upcycled products exhibit.’
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Why seat belts?
After teaming up at RSM, the pair visited a scrapyard for one of their assignments: they wanted to create something from waste. They thought it was a very inspiring place, and they stumbled upon an exploded airbag and a couple of seat belts. ‘The durability, the feeling and the shape of the material gave us the image of a bag or backpack.’ And that’s how their idea of the Airpaq came about.
Let them know what you think
The alumni aim to launch their kick-start fundraising on 4 July, but have already been busy building an online community through social media and a newsletter. ‘Airpaq started as a student project, so we’re hoping for support from the RSM community who’ll enjoy seeing how Airpaq has evolved since we graduated. Please let us know what you think!’
For more information about the Airpaq backpacks and the kickstart campaign, visit their website!
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Source: RSM
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