The Gear Junkie: Reclaimed material messenger bags

By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Last update: April 8, 2008 - 5:22 PM

Recycling is Rad. That's the name -- as well as the mantra -- of a small business in north Minneapolis that makes bike messenger bags out of plastic grocery store sacks. Through experimentation, the company (www.soulsister .etsy.com) developed a process to weld plastic sacks into a durable material that serves as the base for three messenger bag styles.

The bags, which cost $70 to $85, employ a ubiquitous messenger design. But what makes them sell -- in addition to an artsy aesthetic -- is the built-in nod to sustainability: Each is made from up to 100 would-be throwaway plastic sacks.

Another local company, Relan LLP (www.relanbag.com) of Eagan, also makes messenger bags out of reclaimed materials, employing vinyl-laminated nylon derived from billboards. The company's Tomoko Messenger costs about $50 and comes in various colors and designs, no two alike.

Bags from either company will make a statement. They are fashion pieces born of scrap. Wear a reclaimed messenger bag and you're an instant conversation piece -- a walking, cycling advertisement for sustainability and resourcefulness in a world often bogged down by waste.

STEPHEN REGENOLD

Recent Health + Wellness stories

Minn. program offers cell phone help for blind - April 8, 2008

Minn. program offers cell phone help for blind - Cell phone coaches are giving free training sessions on Friday for blind and visually impaired people. More