Bag2work
Backpacks made from recycled boats and life vests.
Two Dutch designers have worked with refugees to create a rucksack from discarded boats and life vests. Designed to offer the most possible space using the minimum amount of material, the 21-litre BAG2WORK bags are made from one square metre of boat rubber and four life-vest straps, which cross over the rucksack to hold it closed. They came up with the idea after visiting the Greek island of Lesbos and finding beaches strewn with boats and vests left behind by refugees. Working together with refugees, the pair set up a workshop on the island assembling bags from the discarded rubber. Without electricity or budget for expensive tools, they had to improvise, using rivet guns to put the backpacks together. This allows workers to join the stiff boat rubber and assemble bags quickly – with each one taking around an hour. The "fortune cookie-like shape" lets the backpack stand unsupported.