Here at Inhabitat, we never tire of finding new chic products that reclaim everyday industrial materials. Some of our favorite finds are industrial or utilitarian objects that, with some brilliant creativity, have been repurposed into gorgeous goods for the home. Our latest trash-to-treasure discovery are these beautiful seatbelt cushions. Hand crafted in Europe by sustainable design company TING London, these cute and colorful pillows are made from reclaimed seat belts!
Deceptively simple, yet incredibly durable, these distinctive accessories are available in a whole range of colors, styles and sizes. These products are all available to buy through the TING London website and are also stocked in outlets across Japan, Europe, UK and USA.
Founded by Royal College of Art graduate Inghua Ting in 2000, TING London is a small company producing luxury luggage, belts, wallets and home accessories, all made from reclaimed leather and seat belts. TING’s already small carbon footprint, is offset with the help of growaforest.com who plant trees to counterbalance their CO2 emissions.
Plain Colored Cushions, from £40.00
Floral Print Cushions, from £45.00
Chequered Cushions, from £45.00
Seat Belt Cubes (below), £150.00
+ TING London
+ Branch
Repurposed, sure, but RECYCLED seat belts? I doubt it. How many lime green seat belts do you think you can collect from the local auto or aircraft junk yard, or every bone yard in England for that matter. Even if the material could be dyed, you’d never get post consumer seat belts from black to that bright light green. Come on, eco-babes, try doing your homework before you start shouting Buy, Buy, Buy from the roof tops.
BJ “dude”-
memo to “People for the Purity of Eco-Speak”:
from Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006
re·cy·cle [ree-sahy-kuhl]
–verb (used with object) [Origin: 1925–30; re- + cycle]
2. to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of: The old factory is being recycled as a theater.
3. to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration: The governor recycled some speeches from his early days.
So, lime green never was popular even in Mom’s mini-van. And these were probably production over-runs in some place not North American in origin. BUT they are what they are, despite not haviing a Hummer or a Chevy beater or a Lotus dangling from them.
What would you have done with them — replacement straps on the restraint gurney?
BTW, regarding your mug shot — recycled, repurposed, reused, redirected or retouched?
Recycled or not, a £65 price tag is enough to deter me when there are better alternatives.
I think they have a nice look to them. Price is a bit out of my reach. I may have to wait to find one in a thrift store.