In a bid to reduce wastage during the manufacturing process, Subaru has partnered with a Japanese supplier to create reusable shopping bags using airbag fabric. These bags are crafted from excess material that would otherwise have been discarded at the airbag factory.
Toyoda Gosei, a company that specializes in manufacturing various auto components, including airbags, dashboards, fuel tank components, weather-stripping, and LEDs, is collaborating with Subaru to produce reusable shopping bags made from airbag fabric. Established in 1949, the Japanese supplier caters to a diverse clientele in the automotive industry, including Toyota, which holds a 20% stake in Subaru. The two companies have a long-standing partnership, and jointly develop popular vehicles like the 86, BRZ, bZ4X, and Solterra. Therefore, the association between Subaru and Toyoda Gosei is understandable given Toyota’s strong ties with both companies.
The production of airbags requires a special type of nylon that is both flame-resistant and impermeable to gases. To meet their functional requirements, airbags must be able to withstand numerous heating cycles in the interior of a car, often for decades. By contrast, conventional shopping bags made of polypropylene are known to break down easily, especially in hot car interiors, creating plastic debris that is far from environmentally friendly.
The production of airbags requires a special type of nylon that is both flame-resistant and impermeable to gases. To meet their functional requirements, airbags must be able to withstand numerous heating cycles in the interior of a car, often for decades. By contrast, conventional shopping bags made of polypropylene are known to break down easily, especially in hot car interiors, creating plastic debris that is far from environmentally friendly.
The pliable nature of the airbag fabric enables the shopping bags made from it to be compressed into a compact square shape that can be secured with an elastic band. This feature is beneficial for storage, as it eliminates the need for bulky storage solutions, a challenge familiar to anyone who has amassed a collection of canvas shopping bags in their car trunk.
Subaru collaborated with Toyoda Gosei to create reusable shopping bags made from airbag fabric, sold for $18.62 USD in Japan. The bags come in white with Subaru or STI brand stripes and can hold standard Japanese hot spring items. Toyoda Gosei also partnered with Asics to create sneakers from airbag fabric.
