By Ellouise Muller

Many might see an empty bread bag as a piece of rubbish, but for a group of ladies in Hout Bay Cape Town, it is a way to put food on the table.

Founder of Re.Bag.Re.Use, Regine Le Roux started the project last year after realizing just how much plastic was being generated and thrown away daily. They are making sure that the plastic does not land up in landfill or our oceans but also investing into the empowerment of the local community and charities.

Regine Le Roux who says: ‘’It was during lockdown when I went back to my hobby of crocheting and then I thought about how I used to see plastic crochet products.’’

‘’We use soft plastic materials, anything from old cassettes or video tapes.They make very beautiful metallic bags while we also use six-pack wrappers,’’ she explains.

The ladies from Imizama Yethu and Hangberg make fashionable beach bags, hats, and shopping bags.

‘’Your empty bread bag might just be able to put bread on the table for someone,’’she added.

The project has 11 ladies cutting and crocheting bags. For every Re.Bag.Re.Use bag that gets sold, a portion from the sales goes to the crocheters, the cutters and a percentage to a local charity.

Their shopping bags cost R250, while their beach bags cost R350.

You can find them on Facebook or you can contact them on 083 302 1528.

Photo: Supplied