Did you know that plastic bags are made from fossil-based petrochemicals that are thrown away in the trash or often ending up in oceans that leads to the death of tens of thousands of sea birds every year? The paper bag is not an obvious solution either as the higher weight of the paper bag leads to seven times the fuel consumption in transport when compared to the plastic bag and are not very reusable. So what is the solution?

Well, we think this particular idea of reusable bag is a pretty clever one. The brains behind the simple idea of reusable bags is the design and architect trio Claesson Koivisto Rune, combining the plastic bag design with front side and back with double-folded handles for high quality functionality with existing eco-friendly material. This material is collected by the non-profit organisation Stockholm City Mission that receives 16 tonnes every year of donated fabrics and clothing that are not suitable for sale. This also creates paid work for the homeless.

This new greener alternative to the plastic bag is not only designer-made, eco-friendly and helpful for sustainable living but also in stimulating the economy. What a clever and rewarding idea all around! The Stockholm City Mission even has their own brand called Remake where they use the help of different designers to re-design new furniture, clothing and homewares to create new products and jobs. We hope more charity organisations with retail activity around the world will follow suit and re-invent themselves more and how to do things better but also in a stylish way. Second-hand and pre-loved items suddenly got so much deeper and meaningful dimension for society as a whole.

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