New life for old tires

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine slinging a bag made of old rubber tires. It’s light, stylish, easy to carry, waterproof and there’s a design for whatever lifestyle you may have.

It does seem impossible, but a husband and wife team, Lyndon Ecuacion and Clarice de Villa-Ecuacion, have made it a reality.

They are the couple behind Siklo Pilipinas, a passion for turning tire and inner tube rubber into elegant fashion bags and accessories. They also do customized products such as cases for musical instruments, wristbands, belts and what-have-you.

Lyndon, a visual artist who hails from Cagayan de Oro, says the idea to produce such products came out of a need when he was roaming the islands of Mindanao.

“I had a project and I was exposed to scrap materials because of that project. We were island-hopping for that project and we had a problem – our cameras were getting wet, so I thought of developing a water-proof case for our equipment,” he tells STARweek one recent morning at the Sunday market in Legazpi, Makati where they sell their products every week.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

As they both believe in recycling and preserving the environment, they thought of ways to make use of rubber.

“Tire rubber is one of the sturdiest kinds of trash in which no rate of decay has yet been known,” he says.

Thus, the idea to turn rubber into useful, stylish – and practical because they are waterproof – bags was born.

The couple studied a cleaning process to make the materials re-usable. After several attempts, they finally perfected a process that cleaned the rubber and also removed its pungent smell.

“We went into tedious work of preparation to make these materials workable. It undergoes a three-stage cleaning process and since we aimed for zero environmental hazards, we do not use detergent or any synthetic chemicals. Finding natural cleaning substances that work took us several months of trial and error experiments,” Lyndon says.

But the couple succeeded and since 2011, Siklo Pilipinas has become a trend locally and abroad. The products have hit export markets such as Australia, Norway, Germany and the United States.

They produce their bags in a small garage in Taguig with a team of five employees and some neighbors, including stay-at-home mothers who want to earn extra income while watching their children.

“It’s a backyard business,” Lyndon says, beaming with pride.

For their materials, Lyndon says he used to roam Metro Manila to find vulcanizing shops that have rubbers or spare tires they no longer have any use for.

“I would roam around junk shops and vulcanizing shops to look for inner tubes. There are big shops with spare rubber tires. Eventually, the rubbers accumulated,” he says.

The rubber tires are the ones used for bikes, trucks and buses. The specific material they use for their products are mostly the inner tube – the smoother part of the tires usually used for life buoys or salbabida.

The unique designs come naturally for Lyndon, a visual artist and designer, as well as for his creative wife.

And each bag or product has a story to tell. A sturdy shoulder bag that takes the shape of a miniature tire is called “Indy,” short for Indiana Jones, the George Lucas-created action hero who uses a sturdy sling bag.

A backpack is called rucksack, named after the German bag used by military forces; while a laptop bag is called the kuwarderno, the Filipino word for notebook. A tote bag is called Toto and a stylish ladies bag is called Bella, named after a lady who once bought a bag.

More than a business, Siklo Pilipinas is a passion and a way of life, which reflects the couple’s eco-ethical lifestyle.

“In our own way, we wish to share our outlook for an eco-ethical lifestyle through our products. We only have one home for mankind, we should keep it green,” says Clarice.

At the Sunday market, the Siklo booth is a favorite among locals and foreign alike.

On Aug. 29 to 31, Siklo Pilipinas will join the MaARTe Artisan Fair at the Rockwell Tent in Makati.

The event is a fundraising activity held by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines for the benefit of the National Museum.

“We are excited about this. The products will come from all over the Philippines,” Clarice says.

The event is a yearly gathering that showcases the most creative Filipino finds, celebrating excellent Philippine craftsmanship. And Siklo Pilipinas is no exception.

The brand indeed is a testament to Filipino ingenuity.