“Everything old is new again” for these Twin Cities designers creating
funky totes and stylish handbags. If you’re thinking of adding a sassy
new clutch to your spring collection or just looking for a unique way
to bring home fresh goods from the farmers’ market, these eco-friendly options are just for you.
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This bag is made from 100% trash: "Random Stripe" tote from ZerOw
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ZerOw Bags: Positively Plastic“Whimsical and eye-catching” are words Chad Campbell uses to describe the unique upcycled bags that he and business partner Paul Hempe have created. Called
ZerOw, the fashionable line of colorful totes, purses, and messengers are made exclusively in Eden Prairie out of a lively combination of used plastic bags sewn together to produce what Campbell and Hempe have dubbed "Plabric," or plastic fabric.
The first ZerOw prototype was developed in March 2008. “Paul’s the one who initially came up with the idea. The way plastic is discarded and the effect on the environment was really bothering him,” explains Campbell. “He started doing research and eventually came to me and said ‘I have this crazy idea – what do you think?’ I agreed it was crazy, but said ‘let’s do it.’”
The duo launched their website in September and have been busy keeping up with orders not only from their site but also from several area retailers. “Our products are really low technology but high-touch,” says Campbell. “We’re taking the plastic bags as they are – not processing them into little pellets or expending chemicals – and using them to make something else.”
ZerOw’s vibrant and durable Random Stripe Signature Tote can carry up to 20 lbs. of groceries and in the process spares 62 plastic bags from landfills and waterways. Similarly, the Random Stripe Shopper Handbag saves 47 bags from the same fate and is perfect for both leisure and workaday use.
According to Campbell, feedback on ZerOw has been overwhelmingly positive and the appeal truly crosses generational lines. Everyone from the teenagers who occasionally help out at ZerOw to Campbell’s 96-year old family friend is crazy about the bags. “Winnie hooks her tote on the front of her walker every day before she makes the two block walk downtown in my hometown,” he says. “She loves it.”
Relan Bags: The Big PictureIt’s hard to believe sleek and chic one-of-a-kind bags with names like the Stacy clutch, the Tiara stylish tote, and the Ce Ce messenger – all produced by Minneapolis-based
Relan-- were once part of giant vinyl billboards lining highways and towering over downtown office buildings.
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The Relan "Stacy" clutch is made from recycled billboards
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All of that leftover material can produce hundreds, if not thousands, of bags made from material that would otherwise end up in the landfill. “A few years ago, we produced 6,500 bags that were given out to Target employees at their national sales meeting," says Marlan Kuhlman, who co-owns Relan with his wife, Sharon. "The bags were made from Target billboards that were literally as big as a football field since they had previously been on display in Times Square."
Aside from the eco-friendly aspect of re-purposing billboards, Relan products are strong, waterproof, long-lasting, and colorfast, courtesy of the heavy-duty vinyl used to make today’s billboards as opposed to the thick paper used in the past. A typical billboard measures 48 ft. x 14 ft., and Kuhlmann says about 80 percent of the vinyl material can be reclaimed for Relan bags.
In addition to billboards, Relan also re-purposes banners for a line of custom-made bags. “Several museums contract with us to make items out of exhibit banners,” Kuhlmann says, adding that both the Walker Art Center and Weisman Art Museum shops carry Relan purses crafted from their own banners. Relan was also recently commissioned by the Sundance Film Festival to make promotional bags.
The functionality and durability of Relan bags definitely appeal to customers, says Kuhlmann. “We have one customer who travels all over the world and she’ll occasionally send us photos of herself from different locations--she’s always carrying her Relan bag.”
ShaggyBaggy Coffee Totes: All Purpose and Caffeine FreeSharon Schneider’s quest to create an item that not only would be fun to make but also supplement her family’s income unexpectedly led her to her local St. Paul coffee shop.
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ShaggyBaggy totes are made from coffee sacks
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“The green-bean coffee guy there told me I’d be welcome to take the burlap coffee bags that come into the store,” says Schneider, who now picks up as many as 50 bags per week. “I realized they would make perfect totes and purses because the material is so durable. I also liked the idea of recycling the coffee bags for another purpose.”
The different designs on the coffee sacks result in unique totes. “The coffee guy always gives me some really great bags, and it’s interesting to hear some of the history that he shares about them,” says Schneider. Lining the bags with upholstery weight cotton adds not only color but also extra durability; the totes feature interior pockets and an attached key hook.
“Everyone needs a bag, no matter what the economy might be,” she says. “It’s a great niche item that also serves a valuable purpose.”
Schneider says her ShaggyBaggy Coffee Totes are perfect for hauling groceries, heading to the beach or pool, or as a funky book bag, which is how Schneider’s teenage daughter totes her daily necessities to school.
On the Web: www.zerowbags.comwww.relanbag.comwww.shaggybaggy.comIn Stores: www.birchclothing.comwww.quincegifts.comwww.fastandfurless.comGreenGiftsOnline.com (Twin Cities Green website)
www.lindenhills.coopwww.trulyonline.comWhere to find:ZerOw BagsBirch Clothing
2309 W. 50th Street
Minneapolis 55410
612-436-0776
Twin Cities Green
2405 Hennepin Avenue S.
Minneapolis 55405
612-374-4581
Quince
850 Grand Avenue
St. Paul 55105
651-225-9900
Relan Bags Birch Clothing (see above)
Fast and Furless Vegan Emporium
2615 E. Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis 55406
612-333-2756
Linden Hills Natural Home
2822 West 43rd Street
Minneapolis 55410
612-279-2479
ShaggyBaggy Coffee TotesTruly…
2175 4th Street
White Bear Lake 55110
651-426-8414