Bags made from recycled plastic bottles: what you should know

A bag made from recycled plastic bottles is a bag produced from used plastic bottles that have been collected and turned into material for a new object. It does two useful things: it gives a second life to a very common piece of waste and, if you use it for a long time, it replaces a long line of throwaway bags.

Every Tropical Factory bag is made this way. Here is what that changes, and what it does not.

Waste turned into something useful

Plastic bottles are among the most ordinary items we throw away. Instead of producing new material, a recycled plastic bag starts from something that already exists.

That idea is what gave birth to Tropical Factory: turning waste into objects that mean something. Our totes, pouches, lunch bags and insulated bags are all made from recycled plastic bottles, then illustrated with designs inspired by Réunion Island. We tell that story in our post about how the brand began.

What a recycled bag really changes

Let’s be honest: a bag, even a recycled one, is still a manufactured object. Its positive impact depends above all on how you use it.

A recycled bag is worthwhile when:

• it replaces throwaway bags, every shop, every market, every outing;
• it lasts: the more you use it, the more the energy and material it took are put to good use;
• you like it: we keep and look after the things we enjoy looking at, which is the whole point of an illustrated pattern.

On the other hand, piling up tote bags you never use does not make much sense. One good bag that goes everywhere with you is better than ten sleeping in a cupboard.

Why choose a Tropical Factory bag

Designs that tell the island’s story

Every design has a name and draws on something from Réunion Island or the Indian Ocean. In this post’s photo you can see Picasso, a tribute to the Picasso triggerfish and the island’s reefs. Its neighbour Baliste honours the triggerfish and the richness of the sea bed.

Elsewhere in the shop you will find the lychee, the white-tailed tropicbird, the Creole house, the sea turtle, the tiger shark, the cowrie, the Victoria pineapple, the chameleon and the traveller’s tree.

Several sizes for several uses

Depending on the design, the shop offers:

• classic totes in XL (€29), L (€24) and S (€20);
• pouches (€14);
• XL insulated bags (€42), lunch bags S (€24) and M (€27);
• an insulated sleeve for a 1.5 L bottle (€16).

Everything is sorted by range in the shop, and the totes are grouped in the Classic bags range.

A local brand

Tropical Factory is based in Les Avirons, on Réunion Island. The designs are created on the island, some of them with a local illustrator, and the brand sells its bags at the Saint-Paul street market and through stockists on Réunion Island.

How to make a recycled bag last

A bag that lasts is a bag that has been looked after. A few simple habits:

• empty it after each use: sand, crumbs and wrappers wear the inside down over time;
• do not leave it for hours in full sun when you are not using it, to protect the colours;
• do not overload it beyond reason, especially with heavy, sharp items;
• let it air-dry if it gets wet, before putting it away.

We cover care in more detail in a dedicated post on looking after a reusable bag.

A recycled bag, one step towards zero waste

A reusable bag is often the first step when you want to cut down on waste. It is also the easiest: just keep it by the door, in the car or in your backpack. To go further, read our alternatives to plastic bags.

FAQ

Are all Tropical Factory bags made from recycled bottles?

Yes, every design in the shop is made from recycled plastic bottles, classic and insulated alike.

Is a recycled plastic bag sturdy?

A reusable bag is designed to be used many times. Like any bag, how long it lasts depends on how it is used and looked after.

Where can I buy a bag made from recycled bottles on Réunion Island?

Online in our shop, at the Saint-Paul street market stall (Fridays 8 am to 2 pm, Saturdays 8 am to noon) and at our stockists around the island.