I just read this fantastic book, and I wanted to share some thoughts. The book is Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart. They propose a new industrial system which accounts for the entire life cycle of a product down to the molecule. Their idea is basically that products should be designed and built from the get-go so that their components and materials can be easily separated and recycled into equally useful materials (vs. the current, system, what they call "downcycling"). You can read more about it here - I recommend reading the book, which isn't even made of paper.
The book got me thinking hard about 3bags and how their methods could be applied. I don't pretend that the materials I use are recyclable in the Cradle to Cradle way - I don't think such a material exists yet (if it does, let me know!). What I do get out of my materials is durability - and lots of it. Cordura lasts. It's strong, abrasion resistant and water resistant. A raw edge won't even fray easily. I've designed my bags with long lasting durability in mind. I want the bag to last and be versatile and functional enough that it remains useful for years and years. I do still worry about what happens when the bag is no longer useful, and after reading Cradle to Cradle I've started working on this problem. Here are some of my ideas:
I haven't put any of these ideas into practice yet outside of my own prototypes, but I thought I'd share them. If you have any suggestions or thoughts, I would love to hear them.
-Curtis
When you order your new bike pannier or convertible backpack pannier you’ll need to select the hook size that best fits your bike’s cargo rack. These hooks—two near the top of the pannier—slot over the horizontal tube(s) of the cargo rack and then a bottom hook on a bungee holds tension for a secure fit.
While it’s a simple system, one of the most common questions we get is: what’s the right hook size for my bike? Click to read more.
