Bags made out of recycled materials have been around for quite some time – but on the whole they’ve been a pretty frumpy bunch. That’s why we are so excited to discover Trash Bags - an Australian company providing eco-inspiration to show that you can make hip, recycled (and fair-trade!) handbags out of many different kinds of refuse — including plastic grocery sacks, newspapers, and telephone directories, as well as the old-time favorite: juice-containers.
Trash Bags offers a collection of fairly-traded bags and homewares made from recycled materials by artisans in disadvantaged communities. By creating fair-trade partnerships with non-profit economic and community development organizations in the Asian Pacific region, Trash Bags is able to bring a product to market that is helping to secure a better future for the craftspeople, their children, and our shared environment. Not only that, their transparent business practices include published bi-annual sustainability audits, the first of which will be available this month, according to their website.
Trash Bags currently has three product lines:
Paper Trail, handwoven from recycled newspaper and telephone directories,
Fantastic Plastic, from heat fused plastic grocery sacks, and Rejuiced, the ever popular juice box bags.
We think this do-gooding Aussie company should be an inspiration to us all. We’d love to see more stuff like this in the US, but until then, we’ll get them to ship overseas.
10 Responses to “TRASH BAGS: Eco-Friendly (& Fair-trade) Totes”
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Very cool! This reminds me of a Tunisian NGO helping handicaped women create beautiful objects out of recyled waste. Their work is inpired by traditional Tunisian design and is really NICE.
When recycled accessories came out in the mid 90s, I hated them since they forced you to notice what they were made of (licence plates, rubber innertubes, seatbelts, etc). But fortunately fellow greenies know that was so passe and have started making cool stuff. Im espcially in love with the tote made from grocery bags.
There are products like that being made here in the Philippines as well. Check this out: things made from recycled juice containers. I must say the design could use a little improvement, but it’s a great project nonetheless. ^_^ There are also products (bags, hats, trinket boxes, etc.) made from old phone books which are created by women in poorer communities.
I would like to know where I can purchase these bags, online or onland. Thank you
You can purchase these products from us. Just send me an email with your order and I wills end you back instructions on payment. We are currently working on setting up our website to accept international direct deposit but in the meantime paypal will accept overseas payments too! Thankyou to all for contacting me what a wonderful response and if I have nto replied yet it is because my email host company went down for a few days so please write again and I will answer as soon as possible
Please send me purchasing information on your Trash Bag totes. This is a wonderful idea and use of our
trash!
where can I purchase these bags and what is the cost of each bag? Thanks.
Where can the recycled paper purses be purchased? Thanks
OH! this is so cutE! i might by one. i had searched these kind of bags on google and i came up here. they are so ecofriendly yet chic! i luv em
Hi!, We think these bags are great and we were wondering if you had an affilaite program? If so, we would love to promote your bags on our site. Thank you for your time.
Stacey and Susan
Kansas City