Have you seen our new windows yet? Brooklyn Industries has launched a series of window installations in all stores using dozens of used inner tubes from tractor trailer truck tires. The sculptures represent an interesting cross between American industry and summertime fun.

The inner tubes were gathered from a New York-based industrial recycling plant that collects used tires from all over America, separates the tires, tubes and rims, and then ships the tire parts out to locations across the world for re-use. This form of tire recycling and others, such as repurposing tire rubber for asphalt, fuel, mulch and artificial reefs, is vital in the movement to alleviate one of the most problematic sources of landfill waste.

“We are upcycling an object vital to industry in America – truck transportation – while also portraying something naïve and playful. I think of floating on tubes in the summer, as well as the people who used them to make crude boats to escape Cuba in the 1990s. The tubes are rich with naiveté and a sense of freedom,” said BKI’s creative director, Vahap Avsar, of the installations.  

Prior to installation in each store, the inner tubes were blown up in Brooklyn Industries’ warehouse and then painted or dripped upon with white paint. The voluminous sculptures were assembled differently in each store window and provide an artistic backdrop to Brooklyn Industries’ new summer collection. Stop by any BKI store location this month and take a look.

To learn more about tire recycling, click here. For information on how you can dispose of tires in the New York City area, click here.