Recycled Seat Belts

The purses are so strong, you could whack a purse snatcher into next Tuesday. The strap won’t rip, either, if you get into a tug-of-war with a pilferer.

Betty Funk’s purses, made from used seatbelts, are so strong you can pull a truck with one, as a customer found out when a tow rope proved too short.

Production is very labour-intensive. It starts with going out to wrecking yards and cutting out the nylon seatbelts. The average car provides about two pounds of nylon belt, not including the buckles.

They sew the belts into sheets using ultra-strong fish line before making them into bags.

Some people balk at the prices, which range from $40 to $130, depending on the size of the bag, and can rise to $160 for custom-made bags. “People will ask why I don’t send the concept to China and have it sewed there,” Betty said.

winnipegfreepress.com