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| It's in the bag, darling | It's in the bag, darling |
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| By Denise Winterman BBC News Magazine | By Denise Winterman BBC News Magazine |
| Going for £200 on eBayThe must-have bag of the season costs a fiver from a supermarket, and hits the shelves on Wednesday. Is it a fashion statement or for those taking a green stance - and does it matter? | Going for £200 on eBayThe must-have bag of the season costs a fiver from a supermarket, and hits the shelves on Wednesday. Is it a fashion statement or for those taking a green stance - and does it matter? |
| This season sustainable is the new black. Eco-friendly used to be a byword for dull and worthy, but now it's officially fashionable, darling. | This season sustainable is the new black. Eco-friendly used to be a byword for dull and worthy, but now it's officially fashionable, darling. |
| The product spearheading the trend is a bag made from unbleached cotton, which cost £5 at selected Sainsbury's stores and sold out within an hour of going on sale on Wednesday morning. | The product spearheading the trend is a bag made from unbleached cotton, which cost £5 at selected Sainsbury's stores and sold out within an hour of going on sale on Wednesday morning. |
| It might not sound A-list, but the bag emblazoned with "I am not a plastic bag" has been designed by the "queen of bagland" Anya Hindmarch. | It might not sound A-list, but the bag emblazoned with "I am not a plastic bag" has been designed by the "queen of bagland" Anya Hindmarch. |
| The aim is simple, to encourage people not to use plastic carrier bags. The bag has been produced in partnership with We Are What We Do, a non-profit campaign group that has set out to change the world in small steps. | The aim is simple, to encourage people not to use plastic carrier bags. The bag has been produced in partnership with We Are What We Do, a non-profit campaign group that has set out to change the world in small steps. |
| The bag's must-have credentials were firmly secured when it was chosen as the goodie-bag for guests at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar night party. Only 20,000 are going on sale - each of the branches stocking it is restricted to just 30 bags and customers can buy only one each. | The bag's must-have credentials were firmly secured when it was chosen as the goodie-bag for guests at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar night party. Only 20,000 are going on sale - each of the branches stocking it is restricted to just 30 bags and customers can buy only one each. |
| People queued for hours when a few of the bags were sold at Hindmarch's London boutique last month, and they have been changing hands for up to £200 on eBay. The simple bag has become a symbol of ethical intent - and a very fashionable one at that. | People queued for hours when a few of the bags were sold at Hindmarch's London boutique last month, and they have been changing hands for up to £200 on eBay. The simple bag has become a symbol of ethical intent - and a very fashionable one at that. |
| Ethical intent | Ethical intent |
| Brits use an estimated 10bn plastic carrier bags each year. But is this bag more of a fashion statement than a green one? | Brits use an estimated 10bn plastic carrier bags each year. But is this bag more of a fashion statement than a green one? |
| UK PLASTIC BAG FACTS We use on average 167 a yearOnly one in every 200 bags is recycledPlastics can take up to 400 years to break down in a landfill Source: We Are What We Do It's made of cotton but in China, perhaps not the most environmental choice given that it has to be shipped thousands of miles to the UK. And it's cheap for a Hindmarch bag - hers typically sell for up to £1,000 - but it's a lot more than the 10p charged for "bags for life" available at most supermarkets. | UK PLASTIC BAG FACTS We use on average 167 a yearOnly one in every 200 bags is recycledPlastics can take up to 400 years to break down in a landfill Source: We Are What We Do It's made of cotton but in China, perhaps not the most environmental choice given that it has to be shipped thousands of miles to the UK. And it's cheap for a Hindmarch bag - hers typically sell for up to £1,000 - but it's a lot more than the 10p charged for "bags for life" available at most supermarkets. |
| But it doesn't matter why people buy it, says one marketing expert. What's important is the huge amounts of publicity the bag generates. On that score, the bag has been the charity's most successful endeavour to date. | But it doesn't matter why people buy it, says one marketing expert. What's important is the huge amounts of publicity the bag generates. On that score, the bag has been the charity's most successful endeavour to date. |
| "So what if people buy it because it's a fashion statement," says Chris Arnold, creative partner at ethical marketing company Feel. "If the person who uses the bag is shallow and driven by fashion, it still helps the planet because they haven't used a plastic one. | "So what if people buy it because it's a fashion statement," says Chris Arnold, creative partner at ethical marketing company Feel. "If the person who uses the bag is shallow and driven by fashion, it still helps the planet because they haven't used a plastic one. |
| "We have to accept that we live in a wealthy, consumer-based society and work with it. It's easy to pick apart any ethical campaign, but if it helps make ethical values more fashionable, then that's great." | "We have to accept that we live in a wealthy, consumer-based society and work with it. It's easy to pick apart any ethical campaign, but if it helps make ethical values more fashionable, then that's great." |
| An ethical bag for keen consumers? This is something of an oxymoron, given that shopping in itself draws heavily on the planet's resources. | An ethical bag for keen consumers? This is something of an oxymoron, given that shopping in itself draws heavily on the planet's resources. |
| Consciousness raising | Consciousness raising |
| Ms Hindmarch knows first-hand the power fashion has, and is prepared to use it. "As a luxury fashion brand we are in a position where we can influence," she says. | Ms Hindmarch knows first-hand the power fashion has, and is prepared to use it. "As a luxury fashion brand we are in a position where we can influence," she says. |
| The bag was never designed to save the planet single-handedly - the purpose was to cast a spotlight on an important issue, says a spokesman for We Are What We Do. | The bag was never designed to save the planet single-handedly - the purpose was to cast a spotlight on an important issue, says a spokesman for We Are What We Do. |
| The bag sends out a message that the consumer is intelligent Jonathan GabayBrand expert Your views on recycling | |
| Some aspects of the project may not be ideal, such as producing the bag in China, but no one is making a profit and the bags were made in a factory "deemed ethical" by the charity. The project was also carbon-offset. | Some aspects of the project may not be ideal, such as producing the bag in China, but no one is making a profit and the bags were made in a factory "deemed ethical" by the charity. The project was also carbon-offset. |
| "If this bag plants an idea in people's heads that will make them think before automatically reaching for a plastic one then it's a success," he says. | "If this bag plants an idea in people's heads that will make them think before automatically reaching for a plastic one then it's a success," he says. |
| It's win-win for everyone involved, says brand expert Jonathan Gabay. "The very smart thing about this bag is that it's getting an important environmental message across to a mass market. | It's win-win for everyone involved, says brand expert Jonathan Gabay. "The very smart thing about this bag is that it's getting an important environmental message across to a mass market. |
| "The consumer looks good and so do all the companies involved. The bag sends out a message that the consumer is intelligent for buying it and the companies for producing it." | "The consumer looks good and so do all the companies involved. The bag sends out a message that the consumer is intelligent for buying it and the companies for producing it." |
| By making the bag exclusive, Ms Hindmarch is not damaging her own upmarket brand, he adds. | By making the bag exclusive, Ms Hindmarch is not damaging her own upmarket brand, he adds. |
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