Parachutes to Purpose: Crafting Change with Creativity

 

Caption: This stunning Green˚ beach bag, crocheted from discarded paraglider wings, is proof that every material deserves a second chance. Thanks to a collaboration with the Re.Bag.Re.Use team, its life as a paraglider wing may be over, but something new and beautiful has been created.

From denim pencil cases to paraglider bags, the Green˚ duo proves that no material is too tough to transform into new products, create employment opportunities, and make a meaningful environmental impact.

The dynamic duo Anne Henderson and Cheryl Macdonald, founders of Green Degree (Green˚), have made a significant impact by repurposing discarded denim into pencil cases filled with essential stationery for children in under-resourced areas. Over the past four years, they have taken Capricorn Primary School in Vrygrond, Westlake Primary School, and most recently Caravelle Primary School in Rocklands, Mitchell’s Plain under their wing and have distributed more than 7,100 stationery packs, ensuring young learners are equipped to begin their school careers while spreading an important message about finding value in our ‘waste’ and being mindful about the environment.

But their creativity doesn’t stop there. Driven by a mission that doesn’t harm the earth, create employment opportunities, and raise environmental awareness, Green˚ continually seeks innovative ways to expand their impact and creatively raise funds to support their mission.

Both Anne and Cheryl’s families share a passion for the outdoors, particularly kitesurfing—an activity that relies on large amounts of material. These materials require regular maintenance and eventual replacement, which raises a critical question: how can they be discarded sustainably? Unfortunately, most old kitesurfing sails, paraglider wings and parachutes end up in landfills.

With Green˚’s knack for innovation, Anne and Cheryl saw an opportunity to give these sails a second lease on life—transforming waste into purpose.

“We are continuously looking for initiatives that share our values and align with our mission,” shares Anne. “We also wanted to experiment and try something different. After a successful test run of crocheting with the fabric, our paths crossed with Re.Bag.Re.Use; it felt like everything fell into place—pure synchronicity.”

This Hout Bay-based initiative empowers women from Imizamo Yetho to crochet multifunctional items by repurposing empty bread and plastic bags. They have also made different products and exhibition pieces using fabric. “It was a perfect fit,” Anne continues. “We resonate with their ethos: spreading the impact and love of their work far and wide, keeping the environment clean, providing additional earning opportunities for the local community, and donating a percentage of their sales to the Neighbourhood Old Age Home (NOAH)and the SPCA.”

Anne shares, “With this new crocheted product range, we aim to create something truly special— pieces that are incredibly aesthetically pleasing, artistic and durable. Every item is handcrafted and unique. We’re not just making products for the sake of it or churning out items; we want to craft something that stands out.

“There is still so much life left in each piece of material. Its time as a kitesurf sail or paraglider wing might be over, but from it, something new and exciting is born, giving it a second lease on life for many more years. Fast fashion places a huge amount of stress on our natural resources, and we need to be much more mindful about our consumption and the lifecycle of the items we use.”

“100% of our profits are used to fund the pencil cases and stationary for the three schools that we support,” adds Cheryl. “This year alone, we have contributed over R50,000 to the local economies of Masiphumelele in Noordhoek, Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay, and Westlake.”

How You Can Support Green˚:

• Donate materials: If you have a kitesurf sail, paraglider wing or parachute you’re no longer using and don’t want to send to landfill, please consider donating it to Green˚.

• Shop their products: View the delightful products on:

  www.instagram.com/greendegree_

• Make a donation: Green˚ is a registered NPO.

• Sponsor a pencil case: Help equip a school child with a pencil case filled with essential stationery.

For more information, contact Green˚ via email: anne@greendegree.org or cheryl@greendegree.org

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Media Contact

Regine le Roux

0833021528

regine@rebagreuse.com

South African initiative, Re.Bag.Re.Use receives global recognition

 

We Won the Global Alliance World Public Relations & Communication Award in the ESG Category!

The winners of the prestigious Global Alliance World Public Relations and Communication Awards 2024 were unveiled earlier this week during the World Public Relations Forum in Bali, Indonesia.

This year’s awards program attracted over 100 entries from across the globe, with 19 exceptional campaigns and initiatives emerging victorious in their respective categories. Winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges comprising renowned industry experts and communicators worldwide.

Re.Bag.Re.Use was the only winner from Africa—a proudly South African initiative—taking home the top honour in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Category.

Justin Green, Global Alliance President and CEO, shared, "The ESG category celebrates initiatives that go beyond words to deliver meaningful, sustainable change. This year’s winner, Re.Bag.Re.Use, exemplifies the power of innovative public relations to address pressing global challenges. By repurposing waste into functional products, they are not only reducing environmental footprints but also driving economic empowerment within their community. Re.Bag.Re.Use stands out as a shining example of innovation, purpose, and impact. A project with a global impact, truly deserves world recognition."

Re.Bag.Re.Use founder, Regine le Roux, added, "We’re so humbled, thrilled, and incredibly grateful to every single person and organisation who has contributed—and continues to contribute—to this beautiful initiative. Who would have thought that a simple hobby, an experiment, and a single empty bread bag would snowball into this remarkable, globally recognised initiative?"

To learn more about this initiative, visit www.rebagreuse.com or contact Regine le Roux at regine@rebagreuse.com or 083 302 1528.

For more information about Global Alliance: www.globalalliancepr.org

All the Global Alliance winners: Global Alliance Announces Winners of the World PR and Communication Awards 2024 — Global Alliance

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Contact

Regine le Roux

0833021528

regine@rebagreuse.com

About Re.Bag.Re.Us

Re.Bag.Re.Use is a community-driven initiative that repurposes discarded bread bags into handcrafted, multifunctional items. Launched in Hout Bay, Cape Town, the project empowers local women by providing them with skills and income opportunities, while promoting environmental sustainability. Each product tells a story of social upliftment, with a portion of the proceeds supporting local charities, including the Neighbourhood Old Age Home (NOAH) and the SPCA. Re.Bag.Re.Use is transforming waste into opportunity, one stitch at a time.

We WON! 🏆

 

We've just received the incredible news that we’ve won the Global Alliance World Public Relations & Communication Award in the ESG Category!

We’re so humbled, thrilled and incredibly grateful to every single person and organisation who has contributed—and continues to contribute—to this beautiful initiative.

Thank you for being part of this amazing journey!

The Re.Bag.Re.Use Team

🤗🏆🧶🤗🏆🧶🤗

Cheers to 19 years!🥂

 

Cheers to 19 years!🥂  Thank you for being part of our journey and making every day truly G.R.E.A.T.E.R and sharing in our values of Growth, Respect, Excellence, Authenticity, Trust, Ethical practice, and building Relationships. Here’s to many more! 💫

Quantifying your value.

The Reputation Matters Team

🟩🥂🟩🥂🟩

From Delivering Fresh Bread to Fresh Ideas: Blue Ribbon Sponsors Re.Bag.Re.Use, Empowering Craftswomen to Put Bread on the Table by Repurposing Empty Bread Bags

Caption: Re.Bag.Re.Use craftswomen with their products made from used Blue Ribbon bread bags. From left to right: Joanna Mnisi, Darmeris Makovere, Linda Pamire, Margaret Nyika, Sakile Ndlovu and Alice Nyasha

Blue Ribbon is excited to announce its sponsorship of Re.Bag.Re.Use, a dynamic community project that transforms empty bread bags into beautifully crocheted, multifunctional items. What began in Hout Bay, Cape Town, has now expanded to Gauteng and Mpumalanga. With Blue Ribbon’s support over the next twelve months, this innovative initiative is set to grow even further. As part of the sponsorship, Blue Ribbon will supply empty bread bags, host a dedicated page on its website linking to the Re.Bag.Re.Use online store, provide online advertising support, and help amplify media exposure—ensuring even greater reach for this impactful project.

Empty bread bags are getting a second lease on life. No longer just discarded plastic, these bags are being transformed into beautiful, functional items. The transformation and repurposing of bread bags not only limits plastic on landfill, but also empowers women. Currently, 24 talented women across the country are involved in the initiative, cutting and crocheting the bread bags, ensuring they don’t end up in landfills.

“This partnership perfectly aligns with Blue Ribbon’s commitment to sustainability and community development. With Re.Bag.Re.Use repurposing bread bags, they not only reduce waste but also provide women with opportunities to develop valuable skills, helping them build more prosperous futures for their families. This initiative reflects Blue Ribbon’s purpose of supporting moms in creating brighter futures for their children, linking environmental responsibility with family well-being,” shares Stephanie Hoy, Marketing Executive for Bakeries at Premier FMCG.

Regine le Roux, founder of Re.Bag.Re.Use, says, “The partnership with Blue Ribbon resonates with us on so many levels. Just as Blue Ribbon uses three simple ingredients to bake their delicious loaves—flour, water, and yeast—our team uses three basic tools to create their unique creations: empty bread bags, scissors, and a crochet needle. And, just as Blue Ribbon continuously improves their recipe to ensure their loaves are packed with flavour and freshness, always delivering on that ‘mmm Yum Taste,’ Re.Bag.Re.Use is constantly finding innovative ways to transform waste into wonder, delivering creativity, sustainability, and purpose with every stitch. Each product is entirely handcrafted, from cutting each bread bag into strips, to the final stitch of the crocheted items. It takes approximately 150 empty bread bags and eight hours to create just one shopping bag,” adds le Roux.

A key goal of the partnership is to create income generating opportunities for women living in underserviced communities. “We’re launching an online platform where the public can purchase a range of products created by Re.Bag.Re.Use (www.rebagreuse.com/blueribbon.html). This not only supports the initiative but also encourages consumers to make sustainable choices by purchasing items where waste has been transformed into something unique and useful. This partnership with Re.Bag.Re.Use underscores Blue Ribbon’s commitment to sustainability and community development. By repurposing waste, educating the public, and empowering women, we continue to champion our mission of supporting moms, helping them turn houses into homes while contributing to a cleaner, greener environment,” says Hoy.

Blue Ribbon’s collaboration with Re.Bag.Re.Use complements its broader sustainability programme. The Packets of Goodness project educates schoolchildren about recycling and encourages them to collect and return used bread bags. Similarly, the Drop and Swop initiative motivates the public to exchange used bread bags for instant rewards. The bags collected through these initiatives are passed on to Re.Bag.Re.Use, where they are repurposed into new, eco-friendly products.

Beyond environmental initiatives, Blue Ribbon remains deeply committed to uplifting communities. The company regularly donates bread through feeding schemes, supports women’s shelters, and engages with youth through soccer tournaments and other activities that help develop skills and create lasting positive impacts in the communities it serves.

Le Roux adds, “With every Re.Bag.Re.Use product sold, a percentage also gets donated to the Neighbourhood Old Age Home and SPCA, spreading the love as far as possible.”

If you would like to support this initiative please visit: www.rebagreuse.com/blueribbon.html or contact regine@rebagreuse.com or 083 3021528. Or visit www.blueribbon.co.za

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Media Contact

Regine le Roux

0833021528

regine@rebagreuse.com

About Blue Ribbon Bread

Flour. Water. Yeast. The three simple things that make a loaf of bread, but it’s the ability to share, care and connect over Blue Ribbon bread, which has been bringing South Africans together since 1882. Continuous improvements to our product recipe means that our loaves are packed full of flavour and freshness – always delivering on that mmmm Yum Taste.

About Re.Bag.Re.Us

Re.Bag.Re.Use is a community-driven initiative that repurposes discarded bread bags into handcrafted, multifunctional items. Launched in Hout Bay, Cape Town, the project empowers local women by providing them with skills and income opportunities, while promoting environmental sustainability. Each product tells a story of social upliftment, with a portion of the proceeds supporting local charities, including the Neighbourhood Old Age Home (NOAH) and the SPCA. Re.Bag.Re.Use is transforming waste into opportunity, one stitch at a time.