Each month, tons of fire hoses from the thousands of fire departments around the world end up in landfills. Oakland, California-based startup Oxgut (sweet name BTW, inspired by what firehoses used to be made of) is aiming to re-route at least a few of those through their network of designers and artisans where the hoses will become high-end modern goods for the home—starting with some awesome one-of-a-kind mats. This folks, is upcycling at its finest.

“Designs with a Heroic Past”

Perhaps what’s most interesting about the Oxgut concept is that the material they’re working with really does carry with it stories of heroic feats. While repurposed sails and other softgood materials that have become repurposed through upcycling also contain many great stories, the fire hoses have literally saved lives. Currently, the creative Oxgut crew is just a few hundred dollars shy of their campaign goal of $28,000 on Kickstarter with 4 days left to go. To put a nice spin on things, they’re also committed to helping young burn victims by donating a portion of their proceeds to the Children’s Burn Foundation:

“We’re also big believers in working locally, participating in our community and giving back. As a company, we’re committed to donating a portion of our proceeds to The Children’s Burn Foundation. (Though that is not a part of this Kickstarter specifically, as per the rules.)”

If you’re looking for a solid reason to replace that ‘Hi. I’m Mat‘ door mat, head on over to their Kickstarter page.