"Trisha" Tutti Frutti medium from Recycled Wrappers

This unique bag is handmade from mis-printed, unused, or discontinued wrappers salvaged directly from manufacturers. Each wrapper is folded and woven together with other wrappers to form an incredibly strong and durable bag.

• Comfortable leather straps
• Double-stitched inside and out for durability
• Handmade – no two bags are identical
• Strong, and water resistant
• Made of handfolded, recycled candy wrappers
• Self-lined
• High quality zipper
• 15" long x 10" high (38 cm x 25 cm)

About the project & artisans:

These candy wrapper bags are made by artisans in Mexico who have minimal means to reach new markets. By offering these clutches, purses and baskets on Eartheasy, we’re able to support small business in areas that ordinarily would have high unemployment. Each bag is made of up-cycled and recycled materials, including recycled candy wrappers, food packages, soda labels, and other up-cycled materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. This recycled material is primarily pre-consumer waste from manufacturers that ordinarily would be thrown in landfills. Each wrapper is completely clean and hasn’t touched candy, so there’s no smell or stickiness.

About sustainable fashion.

One of the ways to make the fashion industry more sustainable is to switch from using resource intensive materials to recycled materials. More than 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles, and about 25% of the world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. These chemicals poison our water, our land, and the workers who are exposed to them. One of the ways we can combat the negative effects of the wasteful fashion industry is to choose products made from recycled materials, and to avoid buying products with a short-lifespan just because they’re trendy.

These purses and bags have received worldwide attention because they provide much-needed income in areas with high unemployment, and for their positive environmental impact.