My name is Ignacio Berges, I’m the founder of Flip&Flip. Today I would want to tell you the story behind our brand and also the story behind our bags, because yes, every product has a story to tell us. I was studying Industrial Design Engineering when a teacher said us a quote that changed everything for me: “80% of the impact caused by a product to the planet occurs in the design process.” From this moment I understood the responsibility that designers had and I decided to use it to make good things for the planet. Flip&Flip was born in December 2016 to flip everything, giving a second life to materials discarded by the industry and transforming them into functional and attractive products that are handmade by experienced craftsmen who putt all their love and experience to make durable products.

We began looking for materials to recycle near to our city: Zaragoza, Spain. Zaragoza has a big logistics industry and we discovered that the companies that made the tarpaulins for trucks discarded a large number of huge scraps. That material was new but it ended up in a landfill generating a negative impact on the environment. We thought it was an interesting potential because it was waterproof, super strength, and also had a very interesting range of colors. That’s why we thought that backpack was the perfect product. As I said earlier, our backpacks have a story behind them. This is a story about second chances because these materials were born to be something else, but the industry discarded it. We think materials have a life of its own, so today I want to tell you the story behind each of our backpacks:

STEP 1: RECYCLING MATERIAL

Once every two months, our Zaragoza suppliers give us the discarded materials which they saved for us. Leftover materials from the production of truck tarps, solar awnings, circus awnings, Olympic mats, soccer field tunnels, etc. Each one has its own story to tell us.. That is the first step and normally we find different colors and textures each time that’s why our products are uniques. STEP 2: SETTING UP THE MATERIAL

We move the material to our warehouse where we check it and prepare for the manufacturing. The material is new but we wash it to remove some dust and dirt. Sometimes they have marks from production which we call war scars. They are part of its history. STEP 3. DESIGN PROCESS

We design the most suitable color combinations for each season of the year from the available colors and textures. Over time, we have discovered that there are some colors that our customers like the most, therefore, we take advantage of this information to satisfy them as much as possible. STEP 4. HANDMADE PRODUCTION

We send the material to our artisan workshop in Alicante, Spain. Pepe and Reme are who lead this workshop and put their experienced hands ready to make each product one by one. Sewing tarps is hard work but the result is incredible. We use truck tarpaulin for outside backpack pieces and solar awning for the inside pieces. The handles are made from recycled leather fiber which is a local material certified by the Oeko-Tek Leather Standard organic seal. STEP 5. ENJOY IT

We take photos of each product for our online store. We sell our product online and also in some multi-brand stores. The next chapter in the history of our backpacks is written by you with your adventures and we will enjoy watching it. A story about save these materials and avoid their environmental impact.

Sustainability is on everyone’s lips and it is time to bring out your funnier and more adventurous side. So much so, that Yurbban Hotels and Flip & Flip come together to create “Make it Count”, a campaign that supports sustainable travel and how to discover new places not only by recycling but by taking recycling with you.

That’s why we raffle night at Yurbban Passage Hotel & Spa for two people and a “Fly Bag”, the new Flip & Flip belt bag.

Click HERE to participate!