SA Woman Crochets Bread Bags into Shopping Bags

When South Africa’s government imposed a nationwide lockdown against the coronavirus last year, one local woman rediscovered a hobby that she has since put to good use.

During lockdown, Regine le Roux of Hout Bay, Cape Town, turned her attention to an old passion of hers: crocheting. And it is through this same passion that she began focusing on tackling plastic pollution.

Speaking to an online media outlet recently, Le Roux explained: “I realised just how much plastic was being generated and thrown away every day, so I decided to find a way to repurpose it. Crocheting with plastic worked!”

Working with six other women in the area, Le Roux established the Re.Bag.Re.Use initiative: two of the women cut bread plastic bags, two-litre milk bottle labels and courier bags into strips, which the other women crochet into reusable shopping bags. To create one bag takes approximately eight hours.

Proceeds generated from selling the bags go towards paying the women, while a percentage is donated monthly to local charities.

It is most certainly an empowering initiative, and it’s all thanks to Le Roux and her crochet pen!

Image Credit: Source