noon solar handbags Designers: Jane Palmer and Marianne Fairbanks {about} We met in graduate school at the school of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999. We started collaborating on projects in 2000 because of common interests in social responsibility and the environment. Our company began as an art project in early spring of 2002. By integrating solar power into items that we regularly use such as handbags, messenger bags, or totes, it is our hope that solar power can be integrated into our lives on an individual level. If more people use solar energy, the more likely the industry can grow and our world can become less dependent on non-renewable sources. Noon solar helps you take the first step. {philosophy} All of our materials that we use to make Noon's handbags and totes are chosen for their sustainability, longevity and beauty. Because we believe that our bags should have as little negative environmental impact as possible, everything that we make has a "cradle to cradle" lifecycle, rather than the common "cradle to grave" life. The materials in noon products are either biodegradable or can be easily reclaimed and re-used. The emphasis that we have placed on sustainability also extends to our commitment to using ethical labor practices and supporting local industries. The leather craftspeople who make the bodies of our bags are skilled with old~world techniques, such as braiding and lacing, giving each bag a presence~of~hand beauty that allows the bags to bridge ancient techniques and progressive technology.

{our materials}

Leather:

When we began this project, we started making bags out of re-used vinyls. After much research and debate, we decided to switch to leather. we switched after realizing that vinyls are created with petroleums, take up to 500 years to biodegrade, and leach chemicals into the ground while breaking down. We use German leather that is tanned the way people thousands of years ago would tan: without heavy metals such as chrome, and with sustainably harvested materials like rhubarb and walnuts. This ensures the ground is not polluted while being tanned, or while it is going back to the earth. In addition, our leather is gorgeous, luscious, and feels amazingly soft.

Fabric: hemp/cotton

After searching high and low for a naturally dyed, sustainably harvested, and biodegradable textile that satisfied our design and aesthetic needs, we chose to start creating our own. We begin with untreated hemp and cotton canvas, and then use an ancient Japanese dying method called Shibori to create patterns and depth within our natural color. This method includes taking the cloth, hand-tying it with string and bands into gathered, bunched, and twisted forms. The cloth form is soaked in a natural dye bath for up to 3 days. When it is removed from the dye bath, the strings and bands are removed, creating a pattern. each bag is one-of-a kind, and can never be exactly the same.

{reclaimable/recyclable}

The solar panels, battery and cables can be safely recycled. The antique brass hardware and zippers can be reclaimed and reused or recycled.

{solar panel}

On the outside of your bag, there is a paper thin, flexible solar panel. This solar panel charges a battery pack located inside the bag to supply power for your cell phone or iPod, day or night. Simply place the solar panel in the bag towards the sun to collect usable energy.

Put it in your window at work, home, car, or on public transit; face it towards the sun at a cafe; or walk/bike around town with the panel exposed. Even on cloudy or rainy days, energy is collected through the UV light of the sun.

On a bright, sunny day the battery should be fully charged in 6-8 hours. On a cloudy day the battery will require a bit more time. The battery pack will hold the sun's energy for several days.

Included with each Noon Solar bag is a user manual explaining the specifics of solar energy and how to access and use it.