Alchemy Goods used-rubber messenger bags at the Seattle Library.

When Eli Reich’ s favorite bike commuter bag was stolen, he set out to replace it with something a little more personal — a handmade satchel from old bike inner tubes and other reused materials.

Reich’s bag was a hit with friends and coworkers, and soon he was making bags for others. When he found himself with twenty orders, something had to give.

“My day job was getting in the way of what I really wanted to do,” he said.

In August 2004, Alchemy Goods was born. The two-man company now churns out a variety of messenger-style and shoulder bags, single pocket wallets, and zipper pulls from old bike inner tubes, air valves, old outdoor advertising banners, and seatbelts. The company’s logo tells buyers what percentage of the materials (by weight) in their specific product are recycled.

Last year, Alchemy used about 5,000 bicycle inner tubes for its products. For 2006, the company has established a partnership with Portland’s Community Cycling Center (CCC) to take nearly 15,000 tubes. CCC had previously struggled to find a recycler for its used rubber materials after Portland-based RB Rubber decided it could no longer process bicycle tire components.