We’ve all heard that around 100 billion plastic grocery bags find their way into landfill each year in America alone. Many of us try to help out by carrying reusable totes, but Sheila Odessey has gone the extra mile.
This self-confessed scavenger turns discarded plastic bags into chic satchels, purses, and clutch bags. Looking at these elegant accessories, it’s hard to believe that they came from the trash!
“It costs more money to recycle a bag than to produce one, so there is no financial incentive to repurposing plastic,” Odessey explained. “My solution: turn this trash into trendy textiles.“
Odessey weaves strips of plastic bag into a material resembling raffia using a vintage loom. This traditional weaving process helps to mask the cheap materials she works with, but Odessey says she doesn’t try to hide each purse’s origins. One of her clutches even cheekily reads “this bag is not a toy.” How cute!
Sheila Odessey purses are a bit expensive considering their recycled materials, with prices starting from $170. However I suppose we’re paying for that painstaking handiwork, not to mention the green credentials. They’re available online from the Sheila Odessey website.
