Interchangeable Umbrellas: Sustainable By Design

Posted on June 15, 2008 by Doug Gunzelmann in Concept+Design

The Crayella Umbrella may be the answer to all those broken umbrellas gathering dust in odd corners throughout the world. Typically, a cheap umbrella is tossed once a gust of wind or overuse rips the canopy or throws a joint from its support arms. The Crayella is designed (with nearly all recycled plastic and aluminum components) so that it can be completely repaired using parts from other broken Crayella Umbrellas.

The concept isn’t to own a bunch in the hopes a repairing a few but to have on the street crayella micro-businesses that will vend and repair any Crayella in minutes (7 total to build a Crayella actually).

The business owner then bundles the broken orange part with other broken parts and returns them to the factory in exchange for a new Crayella to sell. The manufacturer melts the broken orange part together with other broken orange, yellow, and white parts for remolding, "upcycling" them to produce new melon-colored frames. The detailed logistics of this process will grow naturally out of the free "raw materials" provided on the street, community support of the micro-businesses, and the incentive-based upcycling program.

The pieces come in a variety of colors so you can mix and match as repairs are made and the Crayella ages with you. Other unique features are the oval shape of the canopy which provides coverage of a backpack or when turned sideways protection for a couple walking side by side.

crayella, sustainable design, umbrella