Image: Green Earth Office Supply
Recycled gems
Bazura Bags are made through a women’s co-op in the Philippines. These colourful bags, made from recycled foil juice packs, have generated buzz as a fashionable and sustainable alternative. The company also offers a line of billboard or banner bags, made from recycled movie, advertising or other large billboard signage. Bazura Bags are currently available through several companies and the company also ships to Canada and the U.S. Buying a Bazura bag guarantees you are getting a one-of-a-kind.
Feel good bags
Get a bag that will make you feel virtuous. Backpacks from Earthpaks are made from 98% recycled plastic bottles. They’re an affordable way for all ages to be green and are available in a variety of colours and designs. Computer and lunch bags are also available.
The Hemp Courier Bag from Green Earth Office Supply offers versatility and style in a durable, earth-friendly package! This nifty bag, which also doubles as a backpack, is made from hemp, a natural fiber grown in accordance with sustainable agriculture practices, and is coloured with low impact dyes. A more traditional, briefcase style satchel, complete with lots of useful pockets, is also available.
Lunch Time
The school lunch -- what to pack and how to pack it -- has long been a challenge. Two Californian moms offer a practical solution with Laptop Lunches, which sells reusable, recyclable and dishwasher safe lunch kits. They also provide healthy menu ideas (great for the office too!).
Trendy Technology
Starting at about $200 USD, Voltaic solar bags may be a little pricy but they are the way of the future, particularly since they ensure your cell phone never goes dead. Available in four different colours, the bags comes with adapters allowing you to charge small electronic devices such as cell phones, cameras and MP3 players while you rush from one appointment to another. Their power comes from solar panels embedded on the outside, which generate up to 4 volts of power, and a Li Ion battery pack built in to store any surplus. The Voltaic bags have been favourabaly reviewed by Wired magazine, the TreeHugger website and The Guardian newspaper, among others.
Reware, based in Atlanta, Georgia, also sells a solar bag. Available in a cameo print, Reware’s is stylish enough for any lecture hall.
Everyone is waiting for the next step: the solar-powered bag that can charge more power-hungry items such as laptops.
Shannon Wilmot is a freelance writer based in Toronto.
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