Border Lines

Recycling, environmental awareness and ethical business methods have been growing significantly for some time. These values are rapidly becoming part of the mainstream and creating new ideas in many other areas of business. In a corner of South East Asia, overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Cambodia is developing a reputation for green , ethical business that importantly for its sustainability creates real profits and growth for what is still one of the world’s poorest country . Further still , one of the most exciting range of products to come from this market is in the fashion and accessory industry which, in Cambodia , is more associated with corporate driven sweatshops than ethical micro businesses.

These stand out products are a range of items made from recycled fish feed sacks that are originally produced in Vietnam. The original sacks are durable plastic sacks that are ideal for their intended requirement of holding large amounts of feed, but a nightmare when it comes to recycling . Cambodian craft workers however are turning them into fantastically colourful recycled products such as fashionable recycled wallets, bags, even aprons. These products are incredibly well made, inexpensive and in original designs that are all hand crafted , with new lines coming out on a regular basis . The colourful and quirky lettering and graphics on the original feed bags make for some excellent end products.

These are goods that are likely to become increasingly popular popular given their quality and they represent a new way to shop by making sure that something goes back into the community in which they were produced . The days of the disposable sweatshop where people are paid little money to work ridiculous hours are thankfully beginning to disappear , and workers and craftsman are starting to receive just reward for their work instead of being rather than being exploited. Ultimately this change in tide must be consumer driven as simple economics means that only strong consumer demand for these ethically produced, recycled products will create more trade for this type of company and revenue for the communities that support it. Fortunately consumers are now more conscious of what it takes to get goods to the shops as is demonstrated by the growth of Fair Trade goods. Also with the world wide web and wider international travel the word can spread much more quickly. Therefore it is expected that small businesses creating ethically produced wallets and bags in this way can be a success .

One of the main companies that make these fish feed goods are Rehab Craft Cambodia, a social enterprise program based in Phnom Penh. They employs HIV-positive people , victims of landmines and those that have previously contracted polio and other debilitating diseases. The organization is non-profit and started originally with financial aid from New Zealand that attempts to be financially self-sustaining – all profit gets put back into RCC for further product development and training.

Products made by RCC are then distributed through a network of vendors at local markets such as Phnom Penh’s Russian Market, thus creating another level of profits and income for the local communities. These bags and wallets are now also being seen internationally and as long as the international distributors carry on sourcing the goods products in an ethical way ~ ethically } then the industry could make a noticeable positive impact to a country as poor as Cambodia.

Check out these fantastic fish feed wallets and bags , as the future of recycled fashion looks bright!

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