Freitag launches recyclable truck tarp

Swiss bag manufacturer, Freitag, wants to ensure that its recovered truck tarp bags are not just recyclable in the future, but also endlessly recyclable. To do this, the business has collaborated with a number of industry partners to create a fully recyclable truck tarp.

In a press statement, co-founder Daniel Freitag, said that they’re thinking primarily about how they might support the transportation industry with a circular material, which will enable them to act in endless cycles.

Freitag has already set a precedent in textiles with its 100% compostable clothing line called Fabric, which the company created from scratch; now the bags will follow suit.

Despite the fact that truck tarps have a longer life since they are repurposed into bags, this life will come to an end at some point, and they will be burnt.

Markus Freitag, co-founder of the company, said that at least a little heating is generated for their headquarters in Zurich. But it would be even better if they could give the used truck tarpaulin not only a second but a permanent life.

The bag manufacturer decided a little over a year ago to start developing a new form of recyclable tarpaulin that would be just as tough, resilient, water-resistant, and practical as the conventional PVC tarpaulin. This implies it will biodegrade or be broken down into technological materials that can be utilized to produce new tarpaulins or other items in the future.

Freitag, said that it was soon apparent that a new, circular tarpaulin would be built in the same way as the present one, with strong fabric and a soft, water- and dirt-repellent coating made of synthetic or bio-based plastic. The fundamental challenge is how these two primary components can be broken down back into their basic materials and reused or composted – each alone or both together. The collective has already found some partial answers in the shape of conceivable materials and diverse compounds.

To ensure that all manufacturing steps and chemical components are truly recyclable, Drees & Sommer’s innovation partner EPEA evaluates them using the Cradle to Cradle methodology in terms of overall material health for people and the environment, technical recyclability, and the implementation of a take-back system.

The team has the first material prototypes in hand, which are composites of various textiles and coating materials that have proven to be a pleasant surprise throughout the testing phase.

Bigna Salzmann, circular technologist at Freitag, said that they’re especially thrilled that in real stress tests, the biologically based covering material outperforms traditional plastics. They definitely want to continue down this path, even if it means a lot more development work.

Freitag is confident that a circular truck tarpaulin will become a reality for transport routes in the near future, and is working hard to ensure that a first tarp prototype can be put on a truck by the end of 2022. However, it’s difficult to say when the circular tarp will be mass-produced and the truck tarp cycle will be completed.