"It's In the Bag"

by Beth Regula-Thompson

In Humboldt county, Canela Valentine, owner of Faze II Recycling, has been very creative by finding a way to generate an income by re-using someone else's discards. Grain is a commodity that is sold nationwide, and it commonly is packaged in durable cloth bags. Rural communities see a lot of them, especially on farms and during the winter months. Faze II Recycling came up with a great idea to re-use these grain sacks by converting them into multi-purpose bags. The business already owned the tools needed for this production enterprise, but was still in need of a supply of feedstock. Faze II Recyling decided to work on solving this predicament by running an ad in CalMAX, looking for empty grain sacks. Mad River Brewery of Blue Lake, CA, answered the ad, and became a major supplier for this new enterprise.

With the untorn grain sacks, Faze II Recycling makes tough re-usable bags in 3 sizes. The small bag is great for lunches; the intermediate bag can be used for shopping—or carrying books; and the biggest bag is an excellent size for laundry—or sports equipment.

The nifty thing about these bags is both their durability and decor. Designs are made on the outside of the bag, often of wheat, grass, or corn. The bags may be made with handles. The handles are sturdy and bear a design that matches the bag: these designs are colorful and even have matching zig-zag stitches. The bags even come with a flat bottom, so they can stand up.

Additionally, Faze II Recyling has come up with some wonderful ideas on ways to promote more of this particular type of re-use. For instance: the grain sack producers could include instructions on, or a pamphlet with, the bags explaining proper opening techniques; locate a bin for customers to return sacks at the grain stores for others to pick up and reuse; or locate a bin at the local recycling center for the bags. Faze II Recycling is even considering starting a program directly with the company that makes the bags to recycle their textile trimmings.

What a wonderful way to help the environment, save room in the landfills, and generate an income too. Congratulations Canela!

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Last updated: February 27, 2008