Business and luggage: Piquadro’s and Samsonite’s eco turn
In the past two years there has been an interesting trend that has mainly affected the luggage and business sector, which has always been dynamic, versatile and inclined to changes: the world of sustainability, which begins to consistently influence other sectors of our life through the use of more eco-compatible objects or lifestyles. More and more brands are trying to find new solutions to fruitfully use the waste from hardly recyclable materials, using them in an original and increasingly cutting-edge way.
The two brands that have embraced this trend in a more consistent way are Samsonite and Piquadro, which recently proposed expressly ecological lines, characterized by the use of technical fabrics made from recycled elements. Nowadays, this category of materials has the same level of quality compared to those used so far, but with a significant reduction in the environmental impact
The line that best embodies this innovative concept is the Samsonite Spark SNG Eco, the daughter of the already iconic Samsonite Spark SNG luggage collection dedicated to the business world: instead of the standard technical fabric, the line is entirely made of RecyclexTM, deriving from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles, and is characterized by great lightness and resistance, details that inevitably meet perfectly the requirements that each traveler expects from his set of suitcases. The icing on the cake of the collection are the cork-details, which replace the polyurethane elements without sacrificing practicality and resistance.
Samsonite expands the eco-friendly collection with the Securipak line, which goes a step further: the backpacks of the collection, made of 100% recycled PET material, wink at those who use sustainable transportation. The equipment of these models is in fact ideal for those who travel by bicycle, electric scooter and public transport: each backpack is equipped with anti-fraud RFID protection for credit cards, the laptop and tablet compartment is placed so that it adheres to the back for a higher safety and, in addition, in the front part there is a small reflective or illuminated strip, indispensable for those who are on the road also in the dark on vehicles with low lighting.
In 2020 Piquadro also joined this trend with the brand new PQ-Bios line, made from recycled material. Specifically, in this case we have Econyl, an ecological nylon made by processing scraps such as fishing nets, cutouts of carpets and industrial plastics: this particular regenerated fabric is of equal performance compared to that of classic derivation, without any difference in quality.
The Piquadro PQ-Bios products were subject in fact to a long and complex process (with a positive outcome), aimed at measuring their resistance and durability: in addition to tests on the resistance of the stitchings, handles and shoulder straps, each model has been subjected to waterproof tests, consequent water stains, possible cuts, abrasions and simulation of oxidation over time.
In addition, the models of the Piquadro PQ-Bios collection are equipped with a specific PQ-Recycled Index, an indicator that quantifies the weight of the recycled material in proportion to the total weight of the product, to give concrete data about the sustainability of the proposed models. The collection ranges from business briefcases to backpacks, from small leather goods to bumbags and key rings, offering to the end customer a wide and ecological range of products, which is in line with the mood of the brand itself at the same time