Zero-waste Program
We have an active repurposing and recycling program for all brands and types of reusable bags. ChicoBag doesn't want ANY reusable bag to be left in a dark closet or sent to a landfill.
Send us all of your tired masses of reusable bags, functional or not. We will distribute them to fixed and low income families ready to start a reusable bag habit or recycle them into new useful products.
Send your reusable bags to:
ChicoBag Company
C/O Zero Waste Program
173 East 3rd Avenue
Chico, CA 95926
The ChicoBag Company has partnered with The Grateful Thread to recycle any reusable bag that is no longer functional. The expired bags are transformed into beautiful woven rugs.
A note from our partner, The Grateful Thread
In the mid 19th century, women of the coal mining towns of Northeastern Pennsylvania would weave and sew to help support their families. Today, women at The Grateful Thread weave and sew to support victims of domestic violence.
The Grateful Thread is a business initiative of Schuylkill Women in Crisis which serves Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Your purchase of these fine products not only provides funds to support services, but also provides job training opportunities to victims of domestic violence and others re-entering the work force.
The Grateful Thread also supports the environment by offering many products made from 100% recycled materials. Donated fabrics and other materials are woven, knit and crocheted into colorful textiles which are then incorporated into everyday products such as totes, handbags, aprons, placemats, rugs, and more.
For more information about Schuylkill Women in Crisis and the services they offer, you can visit www.s-wic.org. For information on The Grateful Thread, visit www.gratefulthread.org.
The weaving process
To prepare for weaving:
- The bags are cut into 2" wide strips and looped together to make a long strip of fabric "weft" for the body of the rug.
- The hand loom is dressed with warp thread long enough to weave about six rugs.
The weaver then feeds the bag weft through the warp thread and uses the beater bar to compact the weft. When the weaving reaches the desired rug length, filler is woven into the warp thread to separate the rugs. When all of the warp thread has been woven, the roll of rugs is removed from the loom and the individual rugs are separated. The warp thread at the end of each rug is then hand tied to form a decorative fringe that also prevents the rug from unraveling.
The 2'x3' rugs utilize approximately 25 ChicoBags, while the 3'x5' rugs utilize approximately 52 ChicoBags.
Want to buy one of these rugs?
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