It all started with used truck tarps, discarded car seat belts and old bicycle inner tubes. FREITAG has steadily expanded and further developed the sourcing and reusing of materials that, in one way or another, arise as waste. While upcycled tarps still play the lead role, our product range also includes, for example,  iPhone cases made from worn-out ski boots and bags made from airbags that were once installed in cars. When choosing and sourcing materials, we look for high quality, durability and robustness — and we make sure that, despite their previous life on the road, they do not contain any substances that might be of concern.

Our production can be divided into three stages. First, the dirty waste material from the road is checked, sorted, dismantled and thoroughly washed. The second stage includes both cutting the tarps and all manufacturing and sewing work, which is carried out by our long-standing European production partners. Finally, the finished one-offs undergo another thorough quality check, they are photographed, given an identification number and registered in our systems. At FREITAG, our production processes focus on quality, resource efficiency and social responsibility.

There are three ways that FREITAG one-offs make their way from Zurich out into the big wide world and into the hands of urban individualists: through 30 FREITAG stores in 11 countries, the FREITAG online store based in Zurich-Oerlikon, and around 300 retail partners in 25 countries. In distribution, we focus on an optimal customer experience, efficient processes, and avoiding excessive inventory. FREITAG doesn't do seasonal collections or ever-faster trend cycles. Instead, sales follow the «Never Out Of Stock» principle: most of our products are manufactured and offered over many years.

Our commitment to the circular economy does not end when a product is finished or sold. FREITAG one-offs are robust and durable. And that is why we want them to be used as intensively and for as long as possible. We do this by repairing products, renting them out, or making sure they find new owners when they are no longer needed. FREITAG offers a range of tailor-made services for exactly that purpose. At the center is our globally established repair service and the provision of free spare parts, supplemented by various exchange and resale offers as well as FREITAG RENT. At the same time, we are further expanding our take-back service so that our first circular products can genuinely remain in closed material loops.

The people who work for FREITAG — the F-Crew — are the engine behind our Purpose. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment where different perspectives come together, guided by shared values that shape our everyday actions. So that we can continue to develop as an organization, the FREITAG Circularity & Sustainability team works with specialists from across the organization to systematically build knowledge and develop measures around the circular economy. In this way, the transition to a circular economy becomes a shared learning project: only as a strong, empowered community can we truly realize our vision of a circular future.