Courtesy of Yak Pak
Even though we homeschool, backpacks are a grim necessity at our house. Marc (50) carries one to contain his reading materials, medications, and other things he needs when he is away from home. Let's face it, a back pack is much more manly than a purse. Matthew (17) is enrolled in the local community college studying audio engineering, and just so I don't have to go down the whole list, I'll just say that everyone has a reason of some sort why they need a backpack.
My family members are not mad consumers. For the most part they could care less about wearing a manufacturer's name emblazoned across their backsides and/or chests but we are eco-nerds and get pretty excited about the new, the cool, and the green. Yak Pak has partnered with Terracycle to create the ultimate backpack. It's new, its cool, and it's...
A Back Pack Made from Billboards
You know all those garish, irritating, obnoxious billboards that line the highways? Well, someone has finally come up with a good plan for them. The billboards are made from a strong vinyl and are almost indestructible. Almost indestructible is a great characteristic for a backpack.
Current statistics say that about three million billboards end up in landfills every year. Yak Paks is taking these and using them as the main material in a series of unique backpacks for your eco-friendly back to school.
According to the press release the backpacks are made in a hydro-electric powered plant in El Salvador. The company follows fair trade practices, ensuring that the workers are paid fairly and work in healthy conditions. Compare that to the cheap items made in Asian sweatshops at your local store-whose-name-shall-never-be-mentioned-in-my-presence.
You don't get to pick the color as each is made from part of a sign, so there are no two alike. I find myself hoping that they don't use some of the billboards I have seen down near Industrial Blvd. in Dallas, if you know what I mean.
The Yak Pak Billboard backpacks are surprisingly affordable. Although I was expecting to see premium prices they retail for about the same price as any other good quality backpack, around $35.00.
Where to Buy Yak Paks
You may have a difficult time finding them locally but these upcycled beauties are available on the Internet. Two of the sites selling them are:
- J & R
Both of these have them for less than what I expected. Because there seem to be so few of them available I expected higher prices. These two were around $25.00 with shipping.
Terracycle also carries some backpacks made from other upcycled items on their site. Consider a backpack made from juice pouches or an Oreo messenger bag When companies get innovative in their materials and designs I take notice. Kudos to these companies for a seemingly great product just in time to green your back to school.
If these backpacks are unavailable try your local thrift shop. It's green and it is budget friendly.
