Anya Hindmarch’s iconic “I’m not a plastic bag” returns as “I am a plastic bag”

Back in 2007, Anya Hindmarch collaborated with advertising agency Antidote and social change movement Shift, to create the groundbreaking I’m NOT A Plastic Bag campaign. The limited-edition, reusable canvas tote sold out immediately and significantly contributed to the reduction in the number of plastic bags used.

In 2006, the British Retail Consortium estimated the UK alone used 10.6 billion plastic bags! This figure then dropped to 6.1 billion in 2010.

Anya Hindmarch has returned in 2020 with her new creation, I Am A Plastic Bag. This bag is made from an innovative new fabric, which is created from recycled plastic bottles, each large tote uses 32 half-litre bottles.

Whilst the initial plan was to use vegan or recycled leather for the trim, after much research, they came to the disappointing conclusion that “responsibly-sourced” leather was the best material as the alternatives contained “unacceptably high-levels of polyurethane”. The company claims the leather used is a by-product of the meat industry rather than from the leather industry and is sourced from a tannery in Northern Italy close to where the bag is made.

In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, Anya Hindmarch commented: “The problem of single-use plastic and landfill is far from over, however, the mission has shifted from simply being about the ‘awareness’ of using less plastic, to being more about the ‘circularity’ of the use of materials in the supply chain. That is why I have spent the last 2 years developing I AM A Plastic Bag”.

The bags are available to purchase online from NET-A-PORTER now.

The full collection of four colours will launch mid-April in Anya Hindmarch London stores, online and with Matches Fashion in mid-April. Prices will start from £595 to £695.