BBC/Phil HarrisonA fashion designer in Kent is making handbags and accessories from old firehoses.
Elvis & Kresse, based in Faversham, said it had prevented 4,000 hoses from going to landfill since 2005 by using them to create fashion products.
Co-founder Kresse Wesling CBE said she was “trying to find the next best possible life” for the hoses.
She said people “need to learn to cherish and use what already exists instead of always going for new”.
Firehoses, which are 4in (10cm) wide, are cut into squares to then make modular bag, belt and luggage label designs.
Elvis Henrit, co-founder of Elvis & Kresse, revealed the firm receives between three and 10 tonnes of redundant firehoses each year, which has prevented 73.5 tonnes in total going to landfill.
The company believes the fashion industry as a whole should learn from its products by incorporating recycling and greener production methods.
Ms Wesling said: “The most environmentally friendly materials we have are the materials that already exist.”
Half of the company’s profits go to The Fire Fighters Charity.
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