What is truck tarp? And why is it good for recycled bags

The genesis of UPSO can be traced back to an idea: an idea to manufacture recycled or upcycled travel bags from old street banners. With dates and one-off promotional messages scrawled all over them, these banners were quickly consigned to landfill once their usefulness elapsed. Alas, the supply frequency of this material didn’t fit our ambitious production plans, so we began to look elsewhere.

Enter end-of-life truck tarp. A robust, durable material that - we believed - would make excellent recycled backpacks and the like. Even better, we could sew it using our existing machines, and after manufacturing our larger capacity upcycled bags, we could design some smaller items too - less waste, everyone wins!

In this modern world, truck tarpaulin is one of those things that you definitely won’t have given more than a cursory glance. We have! And this is our basic truck tarp explainer - with a little help from our Pete, a man who knows a thing or three about tarp.

What is truck tarp made from?

Sometimes called lorry tarp, truck tarp is the outer material you see on the trailer part of an HGV. Batting up and down the motorways, this material is designed to keep the weather out, protecting the precious cargo inside.

There are various types of truck tarp on the market. Canvas, polypropylene, Poly (HDPE), Reinforced Poly (RPE), Nylon and Vinyl. In most cases, we use polypropylene and Poly (HDPE) when we make our upcycled bags.

Is truck tarp good for recycled bags?

Thanks to its previous life, truck tarp has many inherent properties that make it suitable for making bags. Its durability and structural rigidity mean that with the design know-how, a little manipulation and some experience at the sewing machine, truck tarp is a great choice for an upcycled bag.

Of course, aesthetics play an important role in the popularity of our recycled bags. Black is always a popular colour for a bike bag or laptop backpack, but colourful truck tarp can make for some very striking designs.

Where do you source your truck tarp from?

Here’s Pete on how the supply chain works. “We currently source all of our truck tarp from one UK supplier. It arrives in 2 x 1 metre panels with all the metalwork removed. Before we begin working with the tarp, the panels are taken to industrial launderers (a short 5 minute drive away) to be fully cleaned. After a further inspection (some parts of the tarp panels are deemed to be blemished or unsuitable), each panel is cut to size by Debbie - who makes all UPSO bags from start to finish.”

Like unwrapping a Christmas present, sometimes we don’t know what truck tarp we’re going to get. At the time of writing, there are plenty of orange and dark green hues on the factory floor. Colours which fans of a particular UK DIY shop and a famous haulage company may recognise!

The sustainability of UPSO recycled bags doesn’t stop with the truck tarp either. Here’s Pete again. “We’re committed to supporting local supply chains, and 90% of the components used to manufacture UPSO recycled bags come from within a 30-mile radius. A great example of this is the aluminium channels used to create our pannier bag fitments - they literally come from down the road!”

Another example is the liner added to the Burtonwood Backpack and Small Burtonwood Backpack. “It’s made from partially recycled nylon and sourced from a supplier just 20 miles away from the Nelson factory,” says Pete.

What would happen to the truck tarp if UPSO didn’t use it?

Criminally, some would say, if the tarp didn’t make its way into the hands of our local supplier, it would simply be sent to landfill. UPSO bags, therefore, can be described as circular economy products, playing a small but meaningful role in the circular economy.

That wraps our brief guide to truck tarp and how we use it to make our recycled bags. If you have a question about the manufacturing UPSO bags, pop it in the comments below.