A stitch in time earns an income

Lives are transformed as cutters and crocheters transform discarded plastic into new products.

- By Lisakanya Venna

What started during the Covid crisis as a spontaneous idea has evolved into a nationwide movement.

In 2020, Regine le Roux noticed plastic litter on her jogging routes and recalled an old craft of weaving mats from plastic bags.

Motivated by the loss of jobs and rising unemployment, she launched Re.Bag.Re.Use, inviting women to cut and crochet recycled bread bags to become shopping bags, key holders and more.

"It is about seeing potential where others see waste, turning something headed for landfill into something people love and use," said Le Roux. "That is the magic of Re.Bag. Re.Use - making something out of nothing.

"If you start to hand [things] out, you take away from someone's dignity. You have to encourage people to make their own income - it does not matter how big or small."