'I'm Not a Plastic Bag'

In a consumer world, it can be difficult to keep up with fads and fashions. People can change their wardroom multiple times a year, which adds up over a very short period of time. This leaves people with too many clothes, adding to the over consumption of materials that could be used towards more than just a shirt someone will wear twice before discarding simply because a celebrity or designer tells them what’s hot and new. As well, with the continuing rate that we use plastic, there is so much waste by using plastic bags when doing the groceries or shopping. Both fashion and the constant use of plastic bags are closely linked, and add up to the over consumption of resources. With those things in mind, there is a huge prospect for fashion helping to cut down the use of plastic bags. Take for instance Anya Hindmarch who created a bag which spawned a phenomenon that brought a green item to the forefront of fashion. Hindmarch, a prominent British designer, created a tote bag in 2007 with the words “I’m not a plastic bag” on them, to raise awareness for the over consumption of plastic used in making shopping bags. Not only was it meant to be eco-friendly, but affordable at £5, wildly cheap for a high-fashion designer to price their products. It was originally created as a limited addition for Hindmarch boutiques, as well as a few other locations. In one location 80, 000 people waited in line to purchase one on the first day of sales, a record for something as simple as a bag to put your groceries into. Due to this wild success, other colours were created and the ability to purchase these totes became available in other countries. This really sparked others to create things with a much more green message, and has been gaining momentum ever since. There is a huge market for reusable bags now, ranging from simple canvas ones to more classy patterned or ones made from more eco-friendly material such as hemp. There are very few grocery stores now that don’t offer their own reusable bags or charge extra money if you would like plastic bags. Another thing to with reusable bag is that retro is back in, making everyone keen on going out to second hand stores and creating new pieces from old materials. It doesn’t take much skill to sew your own reusable shopping bag, which also gives people the option to be more creative and use something as simple as a bag to take your groceries home in, into a creative outlet that shows off who you are. This is a great way to reduce and recycle materials in a positive way, getting people more interested in making one-of-a-kind pieces as well as being conscious that they are not using fresh materials. As well, this has sparked many different grocery stores into offering reusable bags, and charges on the plastic bags people use if they don’t have reusable ones. By using the trickle down theory, the theory that high fashion will become popular and begin to filter down to influence more affordable sources, to promote something good for the planet, there’s no telling what could be achieved simply by making more green products fashionable.