I happened to be looking for a free grocery bag pattern on the internet a little while ago, to use up some fabric stash. In my haphazard, one link leads to another to another to another, I came across the site for Morsbags.
The pattern was a simple, no-frills job that suited my purpose.
But then I got to reading some of the information on the site, and was incredibly impressed with what they are trying to do, and have so far achieved.
Their blurb;
Morsbags are handmade from recycled material, meaning it is completely unique. Over 175,000 morsbags are now being used worldwide (as of July 2015).
Can
you sew? Go to www.morsbags.com to
download the free pattern and make morsbags from old curtains, duvet covers,
tablecloths etc.
This
is a positive way to reduce the hideous number of plastic bags being used and
to keep textile waste out of landfill - 1 million plastic bags are consumed per
minute globally - of which hundreds of thousands end up in the oceans.
The
idea is to get together with people in your local community, eat cake and make
reusable morsbags and then give them away for free.
I really love the concept of recycing old textiles to make them - Nan's old flowery duvet, those questionable 90's curtains, and then giving them away by guerilla bagging people!
The 'giving away for free' is their main point of difference, with the idea that people will be a bit shocked to receive something handmade free, and perhaps think on the re-usable bag message a bit more than if they just went and bought one themselves.
If you are interested in making some for yourself or to giveaway, or even just have some unloved fabric that could be recycled into bags by someone else, all the details are on the Morsbags website, where you can also find groups near you if you want to join rather than play along at home.
** I am making bags myself to give away because I think this is a really good cause, but this is not a sponsored/promotional type deal. Just me being overly enthusiastic!!
