Though we love our bags and our style-mindedness, it’s always good to give back to the community. And what’s better than finding brands to support that seek to do just that? Enter Tagbag, a company that makes bags from recycled license plates and inner tubes from South Africa. And if you know your way around a car, you know that that means a pretty durable bag. So here’s the Sparknotes version of the background: on a trip to Cape Town to do relief work, South Africa, Meeshee Scherrei picked up a bag made of license plates. Pretty unique, right?
That’s what Scherrei thought, and she also realized that by employing people in South Africa to make the bags, she could improve the well being of many people. Voila, the idea for Tagbags was born. Now, all Tagbags are made in South Africa by the people of the Kayamandi township, which has been particularly hard-struck by poverty and AIDS. The lives of the Kayamandi people depend on Tagbags, because ultimately, the more Tagbags are sold, the more people the company can employ. And that will lead to Scherrei’s goal of changing the village for the better.
Now that you know about Tagbags’ mission, here are some of the bags that they offer. Right now, there are eight styles available on the company’s website. Here are two of our favorites. The Pumla Carrybag is the best kind of everyday tote, the kind that you grab whenever you need to bring everything and the kitchen sink with you. An added perk is the closed top, so that your things don’t tumble out when you (inevitably) overstuff it because you “really needed” to bring that extra pair of shoes. Buy through Tagbag for $69.95. The Confidence Small Sling is little cross-body messenger bag with an inner tube top flap and the same cool buckle as the Pumla. What sets this apart from most of the en vogue mini messengers today is the triangular shape: absolutely essential when you need to carry bulky items that would just look awkward in a lay-flat messenger. Buy through Tagbag for $49.95. And best of all, because all bags are made of recycled materials, no two are the same. Who doesn’t like to be one of a kind?
Be sure to check out TheTagBag.com for more bag styles and information, and don’t forget to read The Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine, where both Tagbag and the PurseBlog are featured, on page 50 and 59, respectively.
