Scene: You in line at the supermarket about to purchase a couple things for dinner.
In front of you 4 other women doing the exact same thing.
Checkout clerk: Paper or Plastic?
The first woman says paper and as she places her frozen dinners in the paper bag the bottom slowly gets soggy. Before she makes it to her car she is desperately trying to keep the bottom of the bag from dropping out. Not cute.
The second woman, the environmentally friendly gal, brought her own bag. You know the type... Some canvas concoction, probably a gift from her WWF membership. Anyway, you know the woman and the bag. She places her tofu and rice into a freshly washed- yet still looks dirty bag, (gives me a dirty look for buying hamburger), and skirts off. (No offense if this is you, I totally understand... I just call 'em as I see 'em).
The third wo
man opts for plastic, because as much as she really does care about the environment, she's (a) not a fan of the canvas bag, (b) prefers non-paper handles to carry her stuff (you all know the paper ones rip) and (c) justifies the plastic because she reuses them.... Sometimes.
Checkout clerk: Paper or Plastic?
The first woman says paper and as she places her frozen dinners in the paper bag the bottom slowly gets soggy. Before she makes it to her car she is desperately trying to keep the bottom of the bag from dropping out. Not cute.
The second woman, the environmentally friendly gal, brought her own bag. You know the type... Some canvas concoction, probably a gift from her WWF membership. Anyway, you know the woman and the bag. She places her tofu and rice into a freshly washed- yet still looks dirty bag, (gives me a dirty look for buying hamburger), and skirts off. (No offense if this is you, I totally understand... I just call 'em as I see 'em).
The third wo
man opts for plastic, because as much as she really does care about the environment, she's (a) not a fan of the canvas bag, (b) prefers non-paper handles to carry her stuff (you all know the paper ones rip) and (c) justifies the plastic because she reuses them.... Sometimes.The fourth woman you can't help but notice. She's dressed great and is carrying a normal sized handbag. She looks like she just came from the office. Instead of paper, plastic, or canvas, she reaches into her purse and pulls out a gorgeous piece of cloth and lays out at the end of the line. She quickly throws her purchases in the middle of the cloth, and with a few quick hand motions has everything wrapped up tight and secure. As she leaves the store she's a picture of perfection, achieving the aims of the three previous women ....in style.
What am I talking about? Furoshiki! We all live in an age where reusing, recycling and conservation should be of paramount concern. In Japan, some local artists have created a fabulous solution to the over 60 tons of plastic shopping bags disposed of in Japan each year:
There are many books on tying techniques, and though I'm often wary of eBay shopping, you might want to check out Hannari-Ya's eBay store for some good literature on the practice. Why Furoshiki?
What am I talking about? Furoshiki! We all live in an age where reusing, recycling and conservation should be of paramount concern. In Japan, some local artists have created a fabulous solution to the over 60 tons of plastic shopping bags disposed of in Japan each year:
"Furoshiki"- a square piece of wrapping cloth traditionally used in Japan for carrying things- have been re-thought and re-designed. 30 artists and celebrities have challenged this traditional format of a square cloth to be applied for modern use in the current "FUROSHIKI” exhibition at Creation Gallery G8 in Ginza, Tokyo. Under the theme of “beauty of wrapping” and “beauty of carrying” the designers wrapped what they considered most precious to themselves.(I learned about this from PingMag you should definitely check out this great resource!).
There are many books on tying techniques, and though I'm often wary of eBay shopping, you might want to check out Hannari-Ya's eBay store for some good literature on the practice. Why Furoshiki?
- It's an excuse to buy beautiful fabric and scarves.
- Its good for the environment.
- Its trendy without trying.
- Cool modern takes on the traditional practice like the lap top bag available at Tortoise can help you out if you're not artistically inclined to fold :).
