Earth and Body Friendly

The environmentalist inside me feels a small surge of joy when I see that there are so many options available for reusable shopping bags. One of my personal favourites is Envirosax. But what about bags actually made from recycled products? Lemon Ink makes such a bag, made almost completely from recycled materials.

I was fortunate enough to encounter the lovely Lemon Ink ladies (and their gorgeous bags) at their inaugural appearance at a local fund raising market where I was set up with my Nana May’s stall. Despite my innate desire to never be a ‘girlie girl’, I seem to have a problem with collecting bags. I spent most of the day literally starting at their stall. Not only did I fall in love with the fact that the bags are made almost completely from recycled materials, but I was enamoured with the wonderful colours and gorgeous designs.

95% recycled

The adjustable straps are made from old seatbelts, the edging from bicycle inner tubing, and the main body of the bag from truck side curtains. (You know the big trucks you see thundering past you on the motorway that have bright advertisements or pictures of products on the side? I mean the ones with the sides that look as though they’re not solid. Those sides are curtains which can be opened all the way along one side of the truck to show the inside. That’s a truck curtain.)

Even though it wasn’t such a profitable day for me at my own stall, I knew I couldn’t go home without a Lemon Ink bag. It took me a long time to choose which bag I would buy since each one is unique. Some of the images on the bags I could match to products I know. For instance, the bag I chose came from a truck carrying (or perhaps advertising) De Bortoli wines: the front features the word ‘Valley’. There was a bag right near mine, made from a different part of the same tarp, which declared, ‘Hunter’.

Messenger or hand bag style

Most of the bags are based on a messenger bag style and so can be worn across the body. Some were made with an extra strap to fasten the bag around around the hips such as a cyclist might require. The smaller bags were the perfect size to carry a decent sized purse, your keys and a mobile phone, and some makeup if you’re the type (not a girlie girl, remember?). The largest bags—the model I chose since I’m always carrying things for my son as well as myself—are built with a divider as a dedicated space for a laptop. I usually carry water with me, so I use the front space for the water bottle and other things which won’t be damaged if the bottle leaks, and the back space for everything else.

Extremely strong

These bags are about as tough as a hand bag can be. The truck curtain material is water proof and can take a heavy beating. The stitching is done with a heavy quality thread and all the points of possible stress are double stitched. The straps can carry as much weight as you can bear to carry on your shoulder since they’re made from seatbelts, which are, of course, designed to support the full weight of a human being. I know from experience that the buckles can withstand the stress of at least 15 kilograms (33 pounds) hanging from them: Riley has hung off my Lemon Ink bag while I’ve been wearing it many a time, much to my annoyance. The zip in the front pocket is very heavy duty and moves back and forth smoothly.

Good business ethics

I’m waiting eargerly for the day that they might make a backpack. When I emailed Catherine, the designer of the bags, about the possibility of a backpack, her response was that she had yet to create the perfect design. Although I was disapointed that I’d have to wait, it was comforting for me to know that she won’t release an inferior product. These business ethics carry through to how the bags are produced: made locally in my home town, Queensland, Australia, supporting work-from-home sewing contractors not sweatshop owners. Of course, with those business ethics and the amont of work that goes into collecting, cleaning and preparing the materials, these bags are not on the cheap end of the market, but for me, I’m happy to pay the right price for a product that far exceeds my environmental and ethical expectations.

As at the time of writing of this review , the site doesn’t yet have a shopping cart, but if you love to show your unique style while still being environmentally sound, just contact Lemon Ink through their website to find out what’s available.

Visit: Lemon Ink
RRP: AUD $149

Possibly related posts:

1. Envirosax bags - sexy green
2. Limiting and reducing your use of plastic
3. Reuse your bread bags
4. Win an Envirosax reusable shopping bag!
5. Using technology for good instead of evil: eBooks