Green Thing Blog

Bottletop Campaign is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people in need worldwide through education projects designed to empower them. They focus their attentions on issues such as sexual and reproductive health, substance abuse and gender equality. Sounds great but why is it a green thing I hear you ask.

Well Bottletop Trading Ltd, their trading company, designs and produces ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products and these mainly come from the countries where they give their support, helping to alleviate poverty by teaching a skill and then paying for the products produced.

At UK Aware this weekend we spotted their fabulously funky ring-pull bags. Started four years ago in Salvador, Brazil, Production Manager Luciano Dos Santos and Bottletop Director Oliver Wayman, grabbed an opportunity to train seven local women to make fashion accessories from recycled ring-pulls, an existing but underdeveloped craft in Brazil. Within three short months the women were churning out high quality belts and had moved on to learning the art of bag making. These items were shipped to the UK and were being snapped up by green fashionistas. As more and more were sold, sewing machines were bought for the ladies and more women were given the opportunity to master this craft. It’s so popular they have a waiting list of women eager to learn and earn.

The ring pulls themselves have been collected by local people, many living on the streets of Salvador. They get paid for each kilo of ring pulls they collect, which then get sorted, washed and laid out in the sun to dry. Once they are clean and ready to be created into a sparkling accessory, the ladies transform these small metal rings into bags and belts in the comfort of a cool building complete with childcare facilities. Every step of this fashionable journey has been designed to encourage and improve the lives of those involved. With 46 people in the community now involved in the production of these bags and over 5000 sold, this project is making a noticeable difference to the lives of many in Salvador. So when they get shipped to the UK we can buy these wonderful all-consuming accessories to up our style cred.

For more sustainable luxury check out Elvis and Kresse and their gorgeous wallets made from old fire hoses.

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