The reason why we are YUEN: The world of airbags that no one delves into ①
Hello. I'm Hasegawa, a YUEN support staff member. Everyone's talking about the SDGs these days. Recycling, upcycling, and other environmental activities are becoming more and more commonplace every year. My daughter, who is now in elementary school, must have learned about it at school, because she seems to have realized that the work I do is part of the SDGs.
"Does your dad recycle airbags?"
I was asked that.
I explained various things, such as that it is not recycling but upcycling,
"Wow."
He seemed quite impressed.
When I was about my daughter's age, I never thought about such things, but as times change, I feel my daughter growing up too.
The literal translation of SDGs is "Sustainable Development Goals," and in simple terms, it is about creating a better future by valuing the balance between society, the economy, and the environment.
The goal is for both developed and developing countries to work together from 2016 to 2030, with 17 goals set and the United Nations leading the way in raising awareness and taking action around the world.
This topic has been covered extensively on various websites, so I won't go into detail here, but it is an issue that people and companies around the world are responsible for, and of course it applies to us at YUEN as well.
This is a very big theme, but when it comes to tackling such big things, Hasegawa has a favorite saying.
"We may be weak, but we're not powerless."
It's a phrase often used in social contribution activities, and one that I personally find very true, but using just one paper straw won't make the world a better place, and nothing will change. Switching from plastic bags to eco-bags won't change the world. It will just make a difference, just a little. While we are keenly aware of our small influence in the face of big challenges, I think it's also very important to feel that we're not completely powerless.
I think it's similar to an election; one vote doesn't easily change politics, but it definitely carries weight. The collection of those votes creates a big wave that creates something like a movement. I think there's also a big wave of environmental activities like the SDGs and upcycling right now.
Amid this growing trend, we at YUEN are working on an upcycling brand called "rerer," which upcycles airbags from discarded cars to create bags and miscellaneous goods. We have written about the characteristics and activities of reerer in various blogs.
Past blogs about rerer are here
https://yuenstore.jp/blogs/article/tagged/rerer
This time I would like to delve deeper into the subject from a different angle.
Airbags are given special treatment when it comes to recycling
The recycling of cars is quite clearly determined by law, and there is a law called the Automobile Recycling Law.
It's actually decided that parts will be reused in this way. For example, the body and engine will be melted down and turned back into steel!
Among these, there are three items that are classified as "specific recycling items" because they are, to put it bluntly, "difficult to recycle": fluorocarbons, shredder dust, and airbags.
The reason these three items are given special treatment is because they have a high environmental impact and can be very dangerous when it comes to recycling them.
Therefore, these specific recycling items must be processed by specialized companies, and the automobile manufacturers and other parties are responsible for collecting them. In other words, these items involve significant costs and risks.
For example, airbags cannot be collected by ordinary dismantling companies because they are at risk of exploding and must be removed by specialized companies.
And as car users, we always pay part of that cost in the form of a "recycling fee" when we purchase a car. You probably have a "recycling ticket" stored together with your vehicle inspection certificate. This is proof that you paid the recycling fee when you purchased the car.
Just removing these airbags is costly and risky, and recycling them would be even more costly, which is a major concern for automakers.
Rather than recycling these items, which is costly, rerer's initiative was started with the aim of upcycling them to increase their value and turn them into products.
◆The difficulty of upcycling airbags and turning them into products
That's how "rerer" came to upcycle car airbags, and more specifically, they dye car airbags from junkyards in a variety of vibrant colors and make bags and miscellaneous goods. It sounds simple, but it's actually quite complicated.
The manufacturing process for rerer can be broadly divided into three steps: dyeing, cutting, and sewing. However, because the materials used are completely different from those used in traditional miscellaneous goods, manufacturing rerer's products presents challenges.
First, dyeing.
There aren't many brands that upcycle airbags and make accessories out of them, but there are others out there. However, I haven't seen any brands that dye them in vibrant colors.
It simply doesn't dye the way you want it to.
Airbags are made from a special type of nylon called 66 nylon, which is the raw material for ballistic nylon used in bulletproof vests, and is slightly different from ordinary nylon in that it has a very high melting point compared to other nylon products and does not melt even when ironed.
Furthermore, since airbags do not function properly when damp, the fabric itself is water-repellent, making it even more stain-resistant.
Furthermore, airbags vary greatly depending on the car model and car manufacturer. Some are made of soft or hard fabric. There are also differences in thickness and thickness, and some are made water-repellent by silicone coating, while others are made water-repellent by chemicals.
When that happens, the fabric won't dye properly. Even if it does dye, the color will be completely different depending on the item. Thin and soft fabrics will dye darkly, while stiff and thick fabrics will dye lightly. Silicone-coated fabrics will dye with a faded look. There are many individual differences.
Dyeing it black was particularly difficult, and with the first sample, although I had intended to dye it black, it ended up looking like a light gray, and it didn't dye at all as I had hoped.
To achieve the deep color and the intended look, we dyed it using high temperature and pressure, and made many samples before finally arriving at the color we see today.
◆The charm of rerer's airbag color
Dyeing under high temperature and pressure allows for vivid and clear colors to be achieved, making it possible to achieve the desired expression. In addition, the process of applying high temperature and pressure causes deep wrinkles and uneven coloring in the airbag, which gives it a completely different look from other nylon products and results in a one-of-a-kind finish.
Also, as I mentioned earlier, airbags are completely different depending on the car model and manufacturer, and there are large individual differences in the degree of dyeing.
Due to uneven coloring and wrinkles that occur during the dyeing process, as well as differences in color due to the thickness of the airbag and how it is made water-repellent, no two products are the same, even when dyed the same color.
Hasegawa has seen many of rerer's products, and is proud that each one is truly unique, making it a brand that allows you to have a one-of-a-kind item that is just for you.
Furthermore, the appearance of airbags changes dramatically depending on the location of the fabric used, such as the stitching and printed stamps that are originally applied to the fabric.
This time we have introduced the dyeing process out of the three processes of dyeing, cutting and sewing, but we will talk about stitching and printing stamps on another occasion.
Check out rerer's items here
https://yuenstore.jp/collections/rerer
◆ Always keep upcycling in the back of your mind
Rerer's upcycling activities are not a large-scale initiative that will easily change the world. However, although it is a small effort, it is not powerless, so if you use Rerer products and no longer have to buy new bags, the environmental impact will change a little.
"This is an airbag."
If you talk to a friend about this, it might help them keep environmental concerns in the back of their minds.
Since Hasegawa started working with rerer, his car has now traveled over 100,000 kilometers, and 13 years have passed since he bought it, so it's time to replace it.
However, I haven't had any fatal breakdowns, and I'm attached to it, so I don't feel like I need to force myself to switch. This may be because I've been involved with rerer.
Rerer's upcycling activities alone will not change the world, but if more people keep upcycling activities in the back of their minds, perhaps the world could change just a little.
