Handmade Upcycled Bags Made from Waste in Indonesia

XSProject USA makes upcycled bags from waste in Indonesia.  

the problem
80,000 tons of flexible plastic packaging are manufactured each year in Indonesia.
 
The average timespan of a single-use drink container packaged in flexible plastic is only 4 seconds. Because there are no safe disposal methods for flexible plastic, it may accumulate and then sit in a landfill forever. And because there are no traditional recycling techniques for this type of plastic it has little resale market value.

XSProject uses craftspeople and trashpickers to create unique bags from Indonesian waste.  A variety of bag designs are offered, from the Shopaholic made from recycled billboard bags to the What a Waste trash receptacle. 

I am not a fan of the aesthetics of most upcycled type bags, but I do love the concept.  I do think the Shopaholic is a great bag, and it is interesting to read the labels on the bags to see what products are popular in Indonesia.  The bags do have a very strong odor though, which is bothersome to me.  Many of the bags still smell like the products they once labeled.  Also, there are companies like Terracycle making similar products in the US, so it would lessen your carbon footprint to support them over purchasing a bag all the way from Indonesia.

Disclosure:  XSProject sent me three bags in order to write this review. There were no assurances given in advance as to the outcome of the review. 

Read More in: Fashion | Product review

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