Plastic BAGS

Google ‘plastic bags in Cambodia’ and one would come across a myriad of results, even ones going to the extent of describing that Cambodia is progressively “drowning” in heaps and heaps of plastic bags. Is this the truth? Unfortunately, yes. Just like other developing countries, this place has found the way for this ingenious and infamously practical invention to be a part of the way of life here. What is there to expect? They are useful, they are dirt-cheap and they are light. It is probably too late change the local psyche to exchanging this inexpensive device to other mediums and by the time an inexpensive alternative reaches this growing nation, the amount of plastic bags here would have increased tenfold. So a more appropriate question is, ‘What do we do with the plastic bags that are already here?'

A completed coin purse spotting SSF's colours

One of SSF’s volunteer, Yee, who has always had a soft spot in her heart for environmentalism (ranging from animal cruelty prevention to recycling efforts to just simply ensuring that this world does not perish in our own trash), has figured out a way.

Each bag is dilligently hand-made

Using her skills in crocheting and learning from current efforts, she has now begin with a project of reusing plastic bags to be made into useable fashion accessories- from bags to purses. Though still at an early stage, she has been successful with her experimentation of using fully recycled and natural resources, apart from the zippers. The bulk of the product uses used plastic bags while the crochet needles are carved from used bamboo.

With the end of exams looming near and the holidays inching closer, more and more of the kids here are finding extra time to relax and do other things of interest to fill their time. Therefore, Yee is currently leading informal sessions to teach the kids to crochet and partake in the effort of recycling and going green. Most of the kids have found joy in learning to crochet and slowly, but surely, seeing bags being made by their own hands. Once a consistency for this is found, the kids could spread the love and art to their families in rural villages and we see this as a very workable prospect for the poor to gain an income using very minimal capital (just for zippers and bits of thread).

Yee is positive about the prospect for this project and remains hopeful for the first generation of reused plastic bag fashion items to be completed soon. More of it remains to be seen now but soon, the kids would be able to show the world about what a little effort and ingenuity can do to transform “trash” into.

 Average-looking plastic bags

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 Crochet needles made from bamboo

and the result:

A stylish and classy looking purse (without the leather!)

Formulae:

1. Plastic bags (hand-picked from the market dumps and hand-washed to a pristine shine in SSF)
2. Bamboo (a little cut, a little nick, some sanding and VOILA!)
3. 1 Zipper and some Thread (about US$ 0.12)
4. Some creativity and some heart-work.

Written by Lee Choong Yin (Daniel)