Handmade Recycled Newspaper Gift Bags from India.
This project involves a Fair Trade group that helps street children and orphans sleeping rough in the railway station in New Delhi.
It was established in 2004 by “grown up” ex-street children, who decided to make bags from recycled newspaper in order to provide an income for themselves and to offer food, shelter, counselling and education to young street children in desperate need.
The kids now live in a house in a village about an hour’s journey from the city.
Newspapers being unloaded ahead of production
HOW THE BAGS ARE MADE:
About 80 mainly female adults in the group and surrounding village actually hand-make the newspaper bags,
which can be used as carrier bags or gift bags.
In the early days, they collected old newspapers from houses using a rickshaw bicycle.
Now, due to the order volumes they have achieved, they are supplied directly with unsold papers from various newspaper companies in Delhi.
Newspaper Bags Project, India – Workers Folding the Paper
GOOD DEEDS:
To date, the Newspaper Bags Project has helped over 50 street children, through counselling, education, food and shelter.
Sometimes they have encouraged & helped the runaway children to return home,
others have been looked after until they are adults who are able to support themselves and given support to help them integrate into the wider community.
The project also creates employment for 60 families in the surrounding village, who help make the bags.
They have bought some land and hope to save up to build a larger home and work unit there.
Handmade Recycled Newspaper Gift Bags from India
HOW THE BAGS ENTER THE UK MARKET:
My UK-based importer/ wholesaler has supported this group since the beginning and their orders now provide 85% of the year-round income and ensure regular orders for the group.
We are talking here of more than 500,000 bags a year!
The importer is a member of BAFTS Fair Trade Network UK (The British Association for Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers),
which is a network of independent businesses dedicated to promoting Fair Trade retail in the UK.
The FAIR Trade Store is also a long-standing member.
Recycled Indian newspaper bags delivered to The FAIR Trade Store warehouse in Southport
AND THE BAGS THEMSELVES?
The Fair Trade Store has been retailing these bags to their customers for over 13 years now
and they have proved extremely popular as a good, eco-friendly carrier bag or gift bag option.
Details about these unique Fair Trade recycled Indian newspaper gift bags:
• The handles are made from hard-wearing, locally-sourced jute for comfort & convenience.
• They have a re-enforced base for extra strength – the bags are stronger than they look – but please keep from getting wet!
• Make a unique gift bag for any presents as no two bags are the same!
• Comes complete with a little tag showing a picture of the boys and explaining their back-story.
• Available in different sizes – small (packs of 30 bags) and with jute handles (packs of 20 bags) are in stock at the moment.
Why not buy yours today?
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If you have any questions, or would like to leave some feedback, please do so in the Comments section below” – Paul.
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