recycled shopping bag example

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Goodwill receives more used textiles than they know what to do with every year.

The City of San Francisco has prohibited single-use plastic bags and implemented a 10 cents surcharge on recyclable bags.

We have the opportunity to address both environmentally related issues while creating much-needed local jobs in SF.

Reaching out to senior centers, work placement offices and organizations like Goodwill, we could establish a co-op that designs, produces and sells shopping bags to both everyday residents but also Bay Area retail businesses.

While there would be the need for skilled labor (i.e. sewing), it shouldn't be limited to that. Co-op members should be empowered as legitimate stakeholders by getting involved in all facets of the business from selecting fabrics to setting prices. ImproveSF partners like Adaptive Path could help with design.

Once samples are created and initial production runs placed, this effort could partner with members of SFMade to scale.