A twice-weekly sharing of eco-shwag.
Today’s freebie is a unique Yak Pak Messenger Bag — made of upcycled billboards by a collaboration between Yak Pak and Terracycle.
Vinyl billboards aren’t recyclable — but are upcyclable into nearly indestructible products — which is why this Yak Pak bag comes with a lifetime warranty! Made in a hydroelectric-powered facility in El Salvador where workers are paid fair wages, Yak Pak bags cost less than $35 each, making them as affordable as they are green.
Find these Yak Pak bags at Urban Outfitter stores nationwide — or win one here! Comment by Thursday to get into the drawing, which’ll happen Friday (more info on freebies here). US addresses only.
Earlier:
>> Book review: Revolution in a Bottle — Pot-inspired eco-capitalism
>> Saturday surveys: Terracycle’s holiday line
>> Eco-fugly: Drink pouch pencil case
>> Upcycling my wine corks
>> A Reuse program for Scotch tape dispensers and cores
yes, fair wages means 40 dollars a month in my family’s homeland of El Salvador where they have been forced, thanks to good old imperialism, to use the US dollar. the bag looks cool tho!
Comment by mel — November 6, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
It’s ugly, yet eco-friendly. I’ll take it.
Comment by Andre V. — November 6, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
It’s quite charming in its eco-friendly way.
Comment by Charity — November 6, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
Tee hee — Just to be clear, each Yak Pak bag is unique since each upcycled billboard’s different — so some are quite sleek and stylish-looking, while others are kinda cluttered and fugly. This means that the exact bag the winner receives could be cuter or uglier than the sample one pictured above :)
Comment by Siel — November 6, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
Now that my recycled rice sac messenger bag has finally lived a full and productive life (and post-life) I need this bag! I love it.
Comment by Kelly B — November 6, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
What goes better with LA than a billboard bag. I’d love to have this. :)
Comment by LisaNewton — November 6, 2009 @ 5:14 pm
It’s the perfect size for my Yak!
Comment by Daniel — November 6, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Looks pretty cool to me. Not sure where I would attach my bike light but I’d love to have it!
Comment by Rachel S — November 6, 2009 @ 5:25 pm
so coool! i want it , i want it, i want it.
Comment by Jordan — November 6, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Ooh, nice! Pick me, please! I’ll sport it fugly or not!
Comment by Apryl — November 6, 2009 @ 7:07 pm
I love terracycle and appreciate their ingeniosity. I have a cute pencil pouch made out of a potato chip bag from terracycle. I would be happy to own the messenger bag and put it to good use!
Comment by Mayra — November 6, 2009 @ 11:16 pm
What a cool item. The one shown looks very unique. Pure awesomeness.
Comment by Jeffry S. P. — November 7, 2009 @ 12:13 am
super awesome! count me in :-)
Comment by Leah — November 7, 2009 @ 5:45 am
Looks like a cool Christmas present. Count me in.
Comment by Danny — November 7, 2009 @ 6:38 am
I could use a messenger bag. Please count me in!
Comment by Nicole — November 7, 2009 @ 8:40 am
I love this bag! it would be an awesome win. Thanks for holding the contest.
Liz
Comment by Liz — November 7, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
Hey, that is a nice bag that I am sure my wife would live. Thanks for the contest!
Comment by Ben Guygoesgreen — November 7, 2009 @ 5:33 pm
looks good! Count me in
Comment by Zach — November 7, 2009 @ 7:05 pm
Oooh, I’ve been eyeing those for a while now and I could definitely use another bag. Thanks for the opportunity!
Comment by lorena — November 7, 2009 @ 9:00 pm
I think this bag is cool & makes a great statement in so many ways ! please count me in!
Comment by trudy — November 7, 2009 @ 10:22 pm
Hey everyone! I’m Emily and I work at TerraCycle and am also working with Siel on this contest. TerraCycle just wanted to give a BIG thank you to Siel for hosting this fun giveaway and to also wish all of you the best of luck in this contest. I promise I will send a cute bag to the winner that will hopefully be even cuter than the one pictured!
Also, if you haven’t already, please be our friend on Facebook (http://bit.ly/1s397X) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/TerraCycle)
GOOD LUCK! KEEP IT GREEN!
Comment by Emily B. — November 9, 2009 @ 9:37 am
Very cool and eco friendly!!
Comment by Katie — November 9, 2009 @ 9:51 am
Oh I could really use one so I can write about it.
Comment by Edwin — November 9, 2009 @ 9:51 am
I love TerraCycle. I coordinate the Capri Sun pouch bridgade for my school. I’d love to show off a product around school to get people more excited about upcycling!
Comment by Emily — November 9, 2009 @ 10:44 am
Love the bag! I’ll take it!
Comment by MaryEmily — November 9, 2009 @ 10:44 am
love this bag! I want one.
Comment by becky — November 9, 2009 @ 10:52 am
Very cleaver idea, and looks cool too!
Comment by Ken — November 9, 2009 @ 10:59 am
Love it! We started a few terracycle brigades at my daughter’s school, and the kids love participating! Plus, the upcycled products are so cool, everyone wants to buy them. :)
Comment by Laura — November 9, 2009 @ 11:03 am
Love all these Terracycle items! I’m 61 & hoping to class up my act with these eco-friendly items! What great ideas from a really innovative company.
Comment by Patricia Rush — November 9, 2009 @ 11:13 am
Love the bag!! Gimme!!
Comment by Elizabeth Sanchez — November 9, 2009 @ 11:13 am
its cute, i want it i want it!! haaha Thanks em!
Comment by Jessica — November 9, 2009 @ 11:30 am
that’s super cute! :o)
Comment by Amy Jacobsen — November 9, 2009 @ 11:38 am
I want one too!
Comment by Susie — November 9, 2009 @ 11:59 am
If you like YakPak you’ll love satchbags. Made by domestic at home seamstresses. Lunch bags for kids or adults!, messenger bag called SUV (Sport Utility Vinyl), an “almost couture” clutch. Small. made from local vinyl billboards. we are inspired by terracycle. glad they are upcycling vinyl. everybit counts!
go green!
matt
chief satch murse carrier!
Comment by matt — November 9, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
Love it!!!!!!
Comment by Michelle — November 9, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
My students and I LOVE TerraCycle and upcycling all that we can! LOVE the bag!
Comment by MsMullet — November 9, 2009 @ 3:28 pm
I love my job but if I only had the thought of Upcycling I would have jumped on the opportunity. The Terracycle Team deserves all tthe best and continued success.
Comment by Jarrod Hersh — November 9, 2009 @ 3:52 pm
What a cool way to “upcycle” vinyl billboards! What a chic bag!
Comment by Tracy Concannon — November 9, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
Love the bag! = )
Comment by Susannah — November 9, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
As a fifth grade teacher, it is part of my content standards to teach students about reducing, reusing, and recycling. Through this, I like to live my life the way I teach my students. This bag would be perfect to carry my lesson plans and graded papers! :)
Comment by Renee Wachauf — November 9, 2009 @ 8:10 pm
Looks great! Love what you do! Am spreading the word on TerraCycle in my community and have had some positive responses. This back would talk alot!
Comment by Beth — November 10, 2009 @ 7:54 am
Love it. My son’s school recycles juice pouches for TerraCycle and I think they’re a great company. I think he’d be a great walking billboard for recycling and promotion for others to start great companies like Terracycle.
Comment by Rosie — November 10, 2009 @ 5:33 pm
It makes me so happy whenever I read about green products made by Fair Trade workers! Also, how great that Urban Outfitters sell them. This would make a great gift for my niece. Many thanks, Cindi
Comment by Cindi — November 10, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
That is sooo cool! I first learned about TerraCycle last year, and now my school has a juice pouch-recycling program. I love to recycle (the teacher that runs our green club called me the head of it, but shhh! Don’t tell the other students!), and I think that bag is AMAZING! Whoever wins it ill be so lucky!
Comment by Mercy — November 11, 2009 @ 8:13 am
I think that this bag is awesome! And I love that they are all unique and individual! Hope I get one! :D
Comment by Cara — November 11, 2009 @ 8:22 am
very nice bag. Terracycle is AWESOME
Comment by Anonymous — November 11, 2009 @ 8:39 am
TERRACYCLE IS AWESOME. Nice Bag
Comment by Debbie Rupell — November 11, 2009 @ 8:40 am
I think these bags are great!
But, while upcycling items is great, what happens once the upcycled item gets thrown away? Especially with items that can’t be recycled, i.e. drink pouches. Once the pencil pouch gets ripped, then what happens? Back into the waste stream?
Comment by Constance Scott — November 11, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
I love it! I’d love to win one!
Comment by Karlise — November 11, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
Terracycle products are great! Even if I don’t win, this is still on my Christmas list. I’ll be getting one for my oldest son.
Comment by Colene Pefley — November 11, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
I love the bag and I love that there are fair trade practices in place — a total win-win — I hope I win too! :)
Comment by La Alicia — November 11, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
I would so love to have this bag…. VERY COOL!!!!!! Love the idea of upcycling!!!!
Comment by Michelle — November 11, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
oo!! ooo!!! oooo!!!! pick me!!! pick me!!!!
Comment by Michelle — November 11, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
Saw them with the prototypes of this on their TV pilot. Pretty cool looking. Do they still have the car seat buckle clasp?
Comment by Nick Cornaglia — November 11, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
Bring it on.
Comment by Billy Howard — November 11, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
I work at a movie theater where we throw out vinyl banners like these all the time, but now I know what to do with them!
Comment by Adam Fox — November 12, 2009 @ 10:42 am
I think the bag looks AWESOME! I can only imagine how many people I could inspire to recycle AND buy them if I had one! Too cool! Viva la RECYCLE!!!!
Comment by Teri Bailey — November 12, 2009 @ 11:20 am
Charity is the lucky winner! Thanks everyone for entering — and as a sidenote, these upcycled bags are quite affordable! Get ‘em online or at a retailer near you :)
Comment by Siel — November 13, 2009 @ 9:01 pm