Freitag MONO[PA6] BACKPACK

STYLE 30.04.24

FREITAG MONO[PA6] BACKPACK:
A SINGLE MATERIAL. A LOT OF CYCLES

The new Mono[PA6] Backpack from FREITAG is circular economy-proof . From the fabric to the zippers and buckles, it’s made from a single material and can be easily recycled in its entirety at the end of its life. By launching this innovative product, the Zurich-based bag manufacturer is closing a material loop and taking a significant step towards its vision of a circular economy.

Thinking and acting in cycles is integral to FREITAG’s DNA. The company’s vision is to design bags and accessories that are no longer simply made from used materials but also circular. «We have to take a holistic approach to the design of our products, keeping the end of their lives in mind and making sure that everything designed to be circular actually goes back into the cycle,» says Anna Blattert, Circular Technologist at FREITAG. After three years of development, the time has come, and FREITAG is launching its latest circular innovation. The Mono[PA6] Backpack is not only functional, durable, and water- repellent but also fully recyclable and thus circular.

RECYCLING MADE EASY THANKS TO A MONO-MATERIAL

To make the recycling process as simple and resource- saving as possible, FREITAG has opted for the mono- materiality principle in its latest development. Polyamide 6, PA6 for short, better known as nylon, is the material of choice: versatile, robust, and adaptable. However, making a backpack out of just one material is much more complicated than it might sound. A total of 17 components made of PA6 had to be found, all with their own specific requirements regarding texture and properties: from a water-repellent primary material to sturdy zippers and solutions for carrying straps, labels, or sewing thread.

WATER-REPELLENT AND CIRCULAR: A MATERIAL INNOVATION

FREITAG firmly believes that the transformation to a circular economy can only be achieved through collaboration. Its search for an existing water-repellent fabric made from a single material had been fruitless because such textiles have conventionally required an additional coating or membrane made from other materials. This was out of the question because the prime requirement was mono-materiality. The only alter- native was to find a new solution. As a result, FREITAG joined forces with innovative partners in the textile industry and has developed a solution that perfectly fits the brief: a mono-material that is also water-repellent. After an extensive development phase, the innovative fabric, which contains three layers made exclusively of polyamide 6, finally passed all its material tests.

A MULTIFUNCTIONAL EVERYDAY COMPANION: A BACKPACK AND CROSSBODY BAG IN ONE

FREITAG also pursued a co-creative approach to prod- uct design: The Mono[PA6] Backpack was developed with British designer Jeffrey Siu. His design references the bike culture to which FREITAG is so closely affiliated and reinterprets it. The result is a lightweight, versatile companion that meets the myriad different needs of everyday urban life. The musette – a small, detachable bag that pays tribute to an iconic cycling accessory – is the multifunctional centerpiece and transforms one bike-compatible product into two. It can be worn as a practical crossbody bag or serves as an additional outer pocket when attached to one of several points on the backpack. The backpack has a folded base and flexible roll-top fastener, which makes the volume adjustable. The additional outer and inner compartments, the padded back including a laptop compartment, and useful extras such as a quick-access compartment and a key docking loop give the Mono[PA6] Backpack typically FREITAG added value. And for once, entirely without the use of truck tarp.

CIRCULARITY IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Like every FREITAG product, the Mono[PA6] Backpack is designed to lead as long and fulfilling a life as possible. And that calls for a customized repair service. But what do you do when all the life-prolonging options have been exhausted? Because they’re made of mono-materials, the backpacks can be recycled without requiring complex dismantling. They simply return to Zurich via the FREITAG take-back service and, from there, go to the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (IWK) in Rapperswil, near Zurich. The research and recycling partner shreds the bag in its entirety and then processes it into PA6 granulate, which can be reused for new items, such as backpack components. The circularity principle for which the FREITAG Mono[PA6] Backpack stands is one of shared responsibility: It can only work if customers use their products for a long time, take good care of them, and have them repaired when necessary. And, most importantly, return them to FREITAG when the time comes.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS CONTINUES

After more than three years of project time involving countless rounds of development, prolonged tests and complex procurement processes, the first Mono[PA6] Backpack marks a stage in the journey. But it is still not enough to satisfy FREITAG. To achieve an even higher

degree of circularity, the aim is for this new product family to be one day made of recycled PA6. But for the time being, virgin PA6, i.e., non-recycled material, is still the main component. Mono[PA6] is not the only approach the Zurich-based bag manufacturer is using to close its material cycles. Upcycled truck tarps are where it all started for FREITAG; and for that reason, they too are part of the company’s circular vision for the future. The company is working closely with its industrial partners on the joint development of a circular tarp material to ensure that after their long, second lives as FREITAG bags, truck tarps do not end up as waste but return to the cycle.

The FREITAG Mono[PA6] Backpack is available from April 24, 2024, at the FREITAG Flagship Store in Zurich, at the FREITAG Stores in Tokyo Shibuya, Shanghai, Seoul by June, and Bangkok Silom by Pronto, in selected concept stores, and online at freitag.ch.