Earlier this year, there was viral hype about fashion house Balenciaga releasing an IKEA inspired tote-style bag for a mere $2,145. IKEA has the same-ish one for reusable shopping bags in their stores. It's $0.99. Aside from the humorous juxtaposition of everyday shopping and prestigious fashion houses, IKEA and Balenciaga were on to something.
Paper, plastic, and whatever else fills our garbage cans and recycling bins are things of the past. When that story surfaced, people across the internet (aka the world) saw a creative idea that was approached with a smirk while it connected two bastions of industry that otherwise remain distant; fashion and shopping bags. Ditch the garbage bags and don designer ones! Here are some ways to get started with reusable grocery bags that won't have people cringing to look at.
The Runway Works in Seasons, So Can You
Seasonal fashion is always a chic affair and--personal bias notwithstanding--bags are the best accessories. It's estimated that if a person used reusable bags, over their lifetime they would remove 22,000 plastic bags from polluting the environment. Not to mention, they're not cute at all. Plastic bags get used for 25 minutes on average. Now, think of designing seasonal shopping bags that are durable, reusable, and give a nod to designers. Talk about shopping in style!
Use Fashion Designers for Inspiration
There's a reason Balenciaga can sell an IKEA inspired tote for $2,145. The fashion house has an eye for art and style. The same goes for oodles of fashion houses. Let them do the artistic legwork for you! Be careful not to infringe on any copyrights, obviously, but looking to them for design inspiration is a key foundation of the fashion industry. What's in this season? Who's your favorite designer? Favorite bag? Inspirational pattern or print? What can you learn from them? You don't need to create your own fashion house for reusable grocery bags, but adopting the artistic expressions of famed designers while eliminating waste is environmentally fashionable.
Don't Let People Be Lazy
People use plastic and paper bags because it's comfortable and convenient. What they don't like to think about is the environmental impact their waste produces: 100 billion plastic bags annually, with each person using between 350 and 500. You can help stop this. Ridding your stores of plastic waste and replacing it with thoughtfully artistic reusable grocery bags is an simple first step toward getting your customers into caring and looking good while doing so. Building a design that's appealing to the senses, durable, and useful is a bonus for which the environment will thank you and you can kiss the plastic bag crinkle goodbye!
