When recycling becomes ostentatious

UK activist group We Are What We Do has a simple mantra – use your everyday actions to change the world.

Well put. Simple but sensible and powerful credo.

That was how they started their collaboration with famed bag designer Anya Hindmarch and Sainsbury’s to produce an eco-friendly bag to encourage people to reduce their use of plastic bags.

An unpretentious bid that has since erupted into a shopping spree for the hungry fashion addicts, who do not necessarily care two hoots about the environment.

The newborn recycling bag iced with Anya Hindmarch’s designer tagline “I m not a plastic bag” took the world by storm since it was first launched in London in July this year.

It has since evolved, within a short span of two months into a fashion icon plugged by the likes of Keira Knightley and Alicia Silverstone, and met with huge crowds and stampedes each time the bag was launched.

“I m not a plastic bag” made her appearance not only on environment publications and material, it was heavily marketed as a fashion must-have in leading fashion magazines and beauty forums. Has media jumped onto the bandwagon and lost all consciousness for the environment and sell themselves out to haute couture?

Environment causes never quite make headlines in the papers and this seemed a rare opportunity for environment to advocate their cause – but only if these crowds will listen.

The mindset of the public was homogenous.

This noble project presented perhaps the only opportunity to own an authentic Anya Hindmarch creation for a fraction of the price.

The long queues at the supermarkets do not signal conversion of the masses into environmental cause. Of these turnouts, it makes one wonder what the ratio of the trend followers versus genuine tree huggers is.

"I know this is an environmentally friendly shopping bag aimed at encouraging people to ditch their plastic bags for this more eco-friendly option, but the truth is I won't," said one would-be fashionista when interviewed by thislondon.co.uk.

"Besides it wouldn't fit a week's worth of shopping in and will look a lot better with my sunglasses in."

Enough said.

PS: Check out the Riverfire videos at the earlier postings
PS2: Happy Birthday BW! Welcome Welcome! :P