Freitag
CASE STUDY
Created by Redress
FREITAG
FREITAG is a Swiss brand founded in 1993, famous for transforming used truck tarpaulins into highly functional, unique bags. Using tarpaulin for their products was a ‘mixture of intent and coincidence’.
In this case study, we will discover and discuss what it takes to design your products with a life cycle in mind.
Image credit: FREITAG
Image credit: FREITAG
Image credit: FREITAG
Markus and Daniel Freitag, the two founders, were looking for a functional, water-repellent and robust bag to hold their creative work. Inspired by the multicoloured heavy traffic that rumbled through the Zurich transit intersection in front of their flat, they developed a messenger bag from used truck tarpaulins, discarded bicycle inner tubes and car seat belts. For them it just felt natural to go for a used material, giving it a next life as a bag or accessory. This is how the first FREITAG bags took shape in the living room of their shared apartment - each one recycled, each one unique.
They recycle materials in all conditions - even if partly torn or dirty, and now have to source approximately 300 tons each year to keep up with the needs of the business. To ensure there is a constant supply of materials, there’s a team of four people who look out all over Europe, to ensure regular deliveries of used tarpaulin that they use in production of their products.
The founders of the company put a strong emphasis on sustainability. When Daniel Freitag, one of the founders, was asked what sustainability means to him, he responded, “There are sensible, short-term ecological measures that can be implemented but many things must be considered from a holistic and long-term perspective. I am convinced that such an approach is essential for the environment and for society and that these strategies will also take hold on a wider scale.” [1]
In 2009, Freitag was searching for sustainably produced workwear for their employees but could not find anything on the market that met their requirements. So, frustrated with the limited options, they set out to develop their own textiles, beginning with these questions and challenges in mind: [2]
Is it possible to grow fibres in European climates?
Do textiles really have to travel around the world three times before we wear them?
Can fabrics and clothes be manufactured without the use of toxic chemicals?
Why do eco-friendly clothes look so crappy?
Shouldn’t quality enhance sustainability?
Is it possible to make compostable clothes?
After five years of testing and development, FREITAG produced a biodegradable textile that they named F-ABRIC, making workwear for their employees out of it, and now using these textiles to produce their new F-ABRIC COLLECTION.
The materials are made out of plant fibres like hemp and flax as well as Modal.
For the production of F-ABRIC, FREITAG wanted to reduce the transportation required for the whole process (from fibre to finished product), and have managed this with all production stages taking place within a 2,500-kilometre radius of their factory in Zurich.
The restriction of chemicals during production was also important to them, and they used as few chemicals as possible during the cultivation and further processing of F-ABRIC. This has allowed F-ABRIC to reach the Product Class I of the Oeko-Tex® Standard. This is an independent standard which tests for harmful substances, including illegal substances, legally regulated substances, known harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals and parameters for health care at all stages of textile production.
F-ABRIC is 100% naturally biodegradable. To ensure the products can completely biodegrade, threads and selvages are also made from natural materials. In this way, once the garment reaches the end of its lifespan, (which the brand aims to be after many years of faithful service!) the customer can simply throw the ‘products’ into the compost after they remove the button - which has been designed to be reusable.
The F-ABRIC Collection is one of the few examples of garment products that demonstrate the circular model, by turning ‘waste’ back to nature.