ZasPas
Overview
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Country
Type of organization
Number of employees
Type of practice
Level of investment
Activity type
Key words
Summary
Background and origin
Relevance to the craft sector
La empresa está vinculada al sector artesanal preservando la artesanía tradicional y creando productos de alta calidad mediante la artesanía experta. Al reciclar residuos automotrices, ZasPas resalta la importancia de crear productos con un ciclo de vida largo, ofreciendo a los artesanos locales la oportunidad de trabajar con materiales reutilizados.
Material focus – type of waste material involved
Target groups
- Consumidores conscientes del medio ambiente.
- Personas interesadas en la moda.
- Entusiastas del diseño que valoran la sostenibilidad y la artesanía única.
- Además, como los productos están estrechamente vinculados a la industria automotriz, los aficionados y entusiastas de los automóviles, así como los trabajadores y empleados de la industria automotriz, también constituyen un grupo objetivo importante.
Stakeholders involved
- Material Suppliers: Automotive manufacturers and local recycling centers.
- Design Partners: Local fashion designers and craft collectives.
- Community Members: Artisans and consumers who support sustainable practices and buy the products.
- Seller: The entrepreneur has its own e-shop but also cooperates with selected fashion shops in Prague and in Vienna. She also attends various pop-up design markets in the Czech Republic like DyzajnMarket.
Professionals involved and their roles
- Designers: Oversee the creative transformation of automotive waste into wearable or functional products.
- Artisans/Technicians: Carry out the production, including cutting, sewing, and finishing.
Connection of the practice with the project-identified needs
Knowledge of Waste Materials
ZasPas requires in-depth knowledge of the properties of automotive textiles and plastics. Their process involves research into safe handling, cleaning, and processing techniques, ensuring the recycled materials are both high-quality and durable.
Green Entrepreneurial Skills
The enterprise demonstrates green entrepreneurial skills by identifying a niche market for upcycled fashion, adhering to environmental regulations, and designing scalable business models. Their practices serve as a blueprint for integrating sustainability into profitable ventures.
Creativity and Innovative Solutions
ZasPas is a prime example of creativity in upcycling, turning industrial waste into fashionable products. Their aesthetic integration of rugged, automotive-derived textures into sleek designs reflects an innovative approach to sustainable design.
Methodological approach to implement the practice
Process description – step by step instructions for implementing the practice
The process begins with a trip to the scrapyard, where discarded seat belts from end-of-life vehicles are collected. The ZasPas team selects suitable belts based on quality, durability, and color potential. Once the materials are chosen, they are transported from the scrapyard to the workshop for further processing. The belts are then manually stripped of all remaining metal, plastic parts, and fasteners to ensure a clean raw material. This is followed by a soaking phase in a special cleaning solution, which helps loosen any stubborn dirt, oils, or residues. Next, the belts are washed thoroughly in a washing machine, ensuring hygienic and aesthetic standards. After washing, they are air-dried to prevent damage and maintain their structural integrity. Once dry, the belts are sorted by color and type, allowing for consistency in the design of the final product.
The next step involves cutting the belts into required shapes and lengths, and in some cases, braiding or layering them to create a unique texture or reinforcement. The pieces are then sewn together by skilled seamstresses, transforming the raw material into finished items like bags, wallets, or accessories. Every item undergoes a final quality check to ensure it meets ZasPas standards, followed by packaging and shipment to customers. The entire process is relatively time-intensive due to the careful manual work involved at each stage.
As a small enterprise, ZasPas relied on hands-on experimentation and collaboration with skilled craftspeople rather than external consultants. Their approach demonstrates how traditional manual processes and creativity can turn automotive waste into functional and stylish everyday products.
Related Resources that have been developed
- Access to car wrecking yards, scrapyard or junkyard.
- Washing machine
- Strong and powerful sewing machine and needles.
End product
ZasPas offers backpacks, toiletry bags, handbags & purses, fanny packs, wallets, braided bags, buckle bags, and color belt bags, primarily made from old car seatbelts. What makes their collection truly unique is the creative naming system of each product – models are labeled with playful codes resembling car license plates, meaning the color (3 letters), label of the concrete product in the line (2 numbers), and a year of product design (2 numbers), for example: BLK-48-19 (black backpack from 2019), BAS-84-18 (black-silver bag from 2018), BAB-38-13 (black-brown bag from 2013). Each item is unique and reflects the original material’s story.
Sources of funding for this intervention
- Financial award from a regional contest “Rozjezdy roku” supported by T-mobile to jump-start the business.
- Own investment and revenue from sold products.
Innovation, novel methods or technologies used
ZasPas successfully carved out a niche market by transforming an overlooked and unconventional material—used car seatbelts—into stylish, durable, and eco-conscious accessories. At a time when sustainable fashion was gaining momentum but many brands focused on textiles, ZasPas turned to the automotive industry for inspiration. The brand identified a gap in the market for robust, original products that blend upcycling with design, especially appealing to customers who value both function and environmental responsibility. By emphasizing the material’s strength, history, and unique aesthetic, ZasPas built a loyal customer base that appreciates not only the quality of their bags and accessories, but also the story behind each item. Their ability to merge craftsmanship, humor, and sustainability gave them a clear identity and allowed them to stand out in the crowded world of eco-friendly fashion.
Obstacles and challenges faced
Challenges include securing a consistent supply of quality waste materials and colorful seatbelts and creating small-sized products from seatbelts (it is hard to work with a hard material under a sewing machine). The product is unique but not for everybody, its marketing thus should be focused on a specific target group. Overcoming public skepticism about upcycled products is also a challenge.
Steps further and plans for the future
For further development, the company could look for partnerships with specific car manufacturers or car dealerships and offer the products to their customers as additional goods. In the past, ZasPas cooperated with Volvo on a Christmas gift edition for their clients. Cooperations like this can further enhance the brand’s name.
Key impacts – environmental, economic & social
- Environmental: Significant reduction in automotive waste and reduced demand for virgin materials. Until now, they have recycled 68191 meters of seatbelts, which is 4091 kilos of seatbelts from 8523 cars.
- Economic: Creation of new jobs in sustainable manufacturing and opening new market segments, in this case, in a self-employment form or by hiring external support
- Social: Empowerment of local artisans and increased environmental awareness among consumers.
Qualities and criteria’s to consider the practice effective,
efficient, sustainable, transferable
Overview
Effectiveness: How well does the practice achieve its goals?
Efficiency: Does the practice minimize resources while maximizing outputs?
Sustainability: Does the pratcice
contribute to environmental protection, social equality and long- term viability?
Transferability: Are the methods transferable in different contexts?
Required Competences for the best practice
implementation
Activities-to-competences mapping
Associated competences
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
Training needs required for successful implementation
- Workshops on upcycling techniques and material science.
- Courses on sustainable design and environmental regulations.
- Training in digital tools (CAD, online marketing) to improve design and outreach capabilities.
Lessons learned
- Sustainability is Fashionable: Transforming automotive waste into high-end fashion proves that eco- friendly practices can be both stylish and functional.
- Waste as a Resource: With creativity and technical know-how, discarded materials can find a second life and become valuable products.
- Continuous Innovation: The process of refinement and adaptation is essential for overcoming challenges and meeting market needs