We are traveling to India from September 26 to October 6. You can place an order during that period, but unfortunately you have to wait a while before you receive it. We do our best to process all orders as soon as possible after October 6.
Thank you for your understanding!
The founder and driving force behind Ecowings is Kapil Sharma. In 2010 he started his first experiments to make products from car inner tube. We asked him how Ecowings actually came into existence. This was his answer:
I did my design education at Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. After that, I got the opportunity to work with Tata Johnson Controls as an Industrial Designer. Later I joined Autoline India Limited which had design collaboration with Zagato based in Italy. These two organizations changed my mindset and I realised I should work on something which can transform the current environmental situation. Right from the beginning I was interested in design teaching and later I joined a fashion design institute where I started a completely new journey towards a sustainable and aesthetical world.
Everyday on the way to my institute via transport Nagar which had lots of Truck tire seller who used to sell second hand truck tires on the other side several Thela walas (four wheel cart) people used to sell scrap truck tire tubes to earn their everyday livelihood. This everyday action used to shake me from inside and provoked me with lots of curiosities as what happens when these tire tube goes into incineration or further processing. I started my research in this area and took it on the next product possibilities. I found this material extremely durable and waterproof which was plus point to craft any life style product.
Product design journey started with very basic tools and I started several experiments with tire tube. Initial prototypes were not very satisfactory but I had strong gut feeling this is something which can create a huge impact and transformed into a value product. Eventually the first three finished products came out and my father encouraged me to exhibite it in a Green exhibition fair. I realized we have cracked the code and it can go further to form a larger business opportunity.
We did exhibition at many places and we had great experiences and feedbacks from the audience. In 2012 Angela Rooijmans entered in Ecowings and then gradually things turn in different directions and ecowings got acceleration. We entered into export market and we determined to come up great quality products. Day and night we worked hard to achieve the best quality stitching and design and today we are known upcycle leader in Europe.
Read the article about Ecowings in the Better India here.
At Ecowings we continuously try to make our products and the world a bit better. It all fits together. If our bags and accessories are beautiful and of top quality, they will sell better. Then we will need more rubber, which means that fewer discarded car tires end up in the waste stream. And we can help more artisans find a job and stimulate the local economy of Indore. We have used the past months to design and produce a new Wings Collection together with the Kapil team in India. We are very proud that after all that hard work we can now present our improved Wings bags and accessories to you!
Ecowings products are characterized by their robust and unique character. We have made improvements where possible. For example, the zippers are 100% waterproof so that the contents of your bag do not get wet in our little country. In fact, you can swim with your Wings if you wish. Furthermore, extra thick cushion bottoms have been sewn into the backpacks and laptop bags to protect your precious laptop and tablet even better. Finally, in addition to discarded car tires, certified Rpet (recycled PET bottles) is also used on the inside and outside. With this, Ecowings has taken a new step in the upcycling of waste.
The introduction of our new Wings Collection feels a bit like spreading our wings. That is why we have decided to give our products new names. The Panda Laptop Bag is now called the Elegant Eagle, we have renamed the Dawa Shoulder Bag Stunning Seagul and the Rozer Pack Backpack the Funky Falcon. And don’t forget our new Click Kiwi! The handy and trendy fanny pack where you can store all your stuff. As you can see, we have chosen animal names to emphasize our pursuit of a better world for people and animals.
We call our new collection of bags and accessories Wings. Of course, that also includes a cool new logo. From now on, this will appear on every Wings product so that everyone can immediately see that we are dealing with an original Wings by Ecowings!
Until now, we have hardly made any acquisitions towards stores and webshop. But of course we would love it if Ecowings bags and accessories were available in more places. Thanks to the cooperation with Orderchamp, this is now possible with an attractive discount!
One of our most loyal customers is Monde Ethique, a store and webshop with sustainable products in Lyon (France). They once found us through the internet. They ordered a few bags and wallets the first time. Soon the follow-up order came. And last week they ordered a new load for the 10th time! We are very happy with that.
Today we put 2 highly valued employees of Ecowings in the spotlight, namely Sunita and Dhapu Bai.
Upcycling is a sustainable way of dealing with our waste. This allows you to give materials a second life and reduce your ecological footprint.
Kapil, Angela, Uma – Indore 2015
Kapil Sharma is the creative force behind Ecowings. He is responsible for the product development and design of Ecowings bags and accessories. Kapil has a passion for upcycling, nature conservation, innovation and traditional handicrafts. He is very motivated to make sure that the environment and people are treated better in India. Ten years ago, he started upcycling some waste streams to make usable products. Old truck tires turned out to be extremely suitable for this purpose and thanks to his knowledge and innovative talent, he has come up with a product line of excellent quality. Because of his large network of local craftsmen, he has managed to gather a professional team around him.
Kapil graduated in product design from the Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune. Complemented by a diploma in graphic design and a diploma in electrical engineering. He currently works, alongside Ecowings, as an associate professor at Avatika University – School of Design. He is very driven to transfer his passion and knowledge to the younger generation.
Kapil is married to Uma and together they have a son. He is a real family man with a big and social heart. In his spare time he enjoys doing yoga.
Uma Sharma is co-founder of Ecowings in India. The day-to-day management, finances, international trade activities and logistics are in capable hands with her.
Uma has a master’s degree in HR management and marketing from Sikkim Manipal University. She was born in Kota, in Rajastan. She has been married to Kapil since 2011 and together they have a son, Lakshya. She loves to cook and is a convinced and outspoken vegan.
Angela Rooijmans joined Ecowings in 2014. After living in India for a few years, she became fascinated by the waste problem. It is her mission to support local social enterprises in India by finding a market for their products in Europe. Her office is located in Aalsmeer.
Angela has a master’s degree in Management Information Science and has recently started studying Religious Studies at the Free University. She is married and the mother of two adult sons. Her main hobbies are rowing and reading.
Uma, Angela, Kapil – Indore 2016
We are busy birds following our passion. Therefore, we have many exciting, funny and remarkable stories to tell. You can read them in our monthly newsletter Newsbird. Subscribe now!
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