The ReBlack Project
or: From a puncture to a business
Malini in her Berlin workshop. This is where she produces the jewellery that she sells online and at markets.
That's me on my bike, the main means of transport in the area where I was born.
As the daughter of German parents, I grew up in Goa.
What totally fascinated me about the Indians was that they can make something out of anything. What we throw away is a valuable raw material there.
And after a flat tyre, I had the idea. Yes, it all started with a puncture. But first things first.
Malini, Founder and Creator of ReBlack
Recycled jewellery and a bike? First motorbike was inspiration!
Born and raised in Goa, India, we started driving at a very young age.
Motorcycles were a mode of transportation and a way of life from the very beginning. In Goa, it can be very hot during the day and it was difficult to get around by bike or on foot, so we all started riding motorcycles. Buses took you from village to village, but had long distances and didn't go past the beaches.
At the age of 7, I started riding a small TVS scooter just to go around the corner and buy milk and little things for my mother.
At the age of 11, a friend of my mother showed me how to ride a bicycle with gears, but with him on the back.
At the age of 14, a friend showed me how to ride a bigger bike with gears. After that, it was all a passion for the road and owned a few bikes in India.
I had a Yamaha and after i got a CBZ from Honda, that was my favorite.
The CBZ from Honda, my favourite. All the old rubber tyres.... They now end up in my jewellery workshop in Berlin.
In Goa, we never needed a driver's license and could talk our way out with the police.
Without helmets or shoes, we drove with flip flops and beach clothes. A very free way of life. (Of course that has changed in the last 20 years).
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The Story of my love with recyled Jewellery started in Goa, here with friend
Malini likes both, repairing bikes and eco friendly jewelry.
In Germany I made my driving license after I made my car and big trailer license.
At that time, my boyfriend had a bike and pushed me even more to make a license for the motorbike.
That was really a nice day because from then on I could drive my beautiful BMW gs f 650 Dakar.
This beauty showed me how to handle my driving skills in a totally different way. In India I was only able to drive the 60 k/h. In India it is always dangerous, as there are cows, dogs, pigs and people crossing the roads at any given time.
I could finally drive faster then 100 k/h on the country roads, 140k/h on the German highways, a completely different respect for the roads and bikes.
One day, on the way back from a friend in Berlin, I had a flat tire!!!!
I had no idea what to do, because in India I would push my bike to the nearest mechanic, but this isn't the case in Berlin. Luckily, there was a gas station nearby, I pushed it there and was able to pump up the tire so I could ride to my own mechanic.
ReBlack stands for Recycled and Black (Jewellery and Fashion).
The mechanic called me after a day because they couldn't find the hole, so they replaced it. Detlef asked me if he should throw the tire away, but in my eco-friendly way I said no, I could reuse it somehow. At that time, I had a stall on the markets selling eco friendly products and cosmetics. The Zero Waste was in me and still is.
A few days later, in my bed, just before falling asleep, I had the idea that I could use my laser to engrave a flower or some other design on the tire. The next day I tried it out and it worked really well!!!
That day ReBlack was born.
From then on, my creativity just bubbled out and never stopped. I love this material and what I can make out of it. It's resilient, vegan and up-cycled. Its like Latex rubber, but also like leather.
Upcycling is the way to go with our resources these days.
Facts
Tyre's make up nearly 2% of total global waste, and the waste leads to environmental and health hazards due to the improper waste management.
These tires have become a major source of pollution.
We lose Tyre recycled resource opportunities when they are incarcerated, landfilled illegally, or stockpiled illegally.
The EU only discards over 300 million car and truck tires each year.
This is why this project is important to me.
I have saved over 700 tyre's already in less then a year.
I reuse my scraps too, and the material i really really don't need, i bring to my mechanic and a company called Schwalbe, pics it up for recycling again.
My Mission: Lets save some of the planet, lets Recycle, Reuse and Upcycle everything 🙂
Read a Blog to learn more about Tyre's, click Here.
Products
All my products are carefully hand cut and hand made with lots of love and patience.
I pick up the Tyre Tubes from my surrounding mechanics in Berlin. Mostly from Detlef mechanic, his shop is called Second Hand Motorrad Teile. There he has a Motorbike and a Bicycle repair shop. This saves me of course a lot of time.
I bring the Tyre Tubes home and cut them open, to clean the talcum powder out. I put them in a washing machine, then hand wash again with a sponge and lots of soap. Then I cure them with an oil, mostly vegetable oil.
After curing them, I start with the cutting or engraving. After I engrave them with my laser, I wash again and cure again.
This long proccess, makes sure your clothes and skin stay clean.
Please click HERE to find out how to care for your product and to look out for with tyres on your skin.