There are myriad of options to live more sustainably; eating more plant-based products, buying locally, reducing your consumption of plastic, and using less energy are just some examples of living a more sustainable lifestyle. Although we know we can’t solve the climate emergency, we at SUSAN BIJL hope to contribute to a better world and inspire people to think about their daily choices. In this blog we want to shed some light on how you can make sure that you can keep using your shopping bag years after you purchased it.
Not only do our colourful bags elevate your daily outfit, but they are also a sustainable choice. We live in a world in which we are constantly faced with news and facts about the devastating consequences of climate change. As you may already know, a lot of attention has been paid to produce The New Shopping Bag in an environmentally friendly way. Beyond that, our bags are a fantastic alternative to single- use plastic bags. At SUSAN BIJL we do not want to encourage the use of products for a short amount of time, only to throw it away when it is (even slightly) damaged. This also applies to our shopping bags!
kintsugi
The New Shopping Bag can not only be found in the Netherlands, but are also very popular in Japan. The Japanese ethos is naturally attuned to nature’s cycles. There is also a great emphasis on nature, everyday objects, and the interconnectivity of humanity. You may have heard of the Japanese term kintsugi. It is an art form in which broken pottery is repaired, and in some ways enhanced. Often with paint that is mixed with gold, silver, or platinum, because – according to kintsugi's philosophy – these imperfections make such an object unique and interesting. The once broken object is made more beautiful in this process. The philosophy behind this technique goes beyond a practical artistic skill: it touches on the symbolism of healing and resilience. At SUSAN BIJL, this inspires us, and we think this is a beautiful way of looking at products we use on a daily basis.
care & repair
We think we can learn a lot from this Japanese way of thinking. Kintsugi can also be applied to our shopping bags. We offer a free service to repair damaged bags. Similar to kintsugi, our reparations will leave small but beautiful marks. We provide this service for our customers because we want people to enjoy our products as long as possible. From this, we hope to beautify something that was once damaged while creating a more sustainable future.
how to
We have some rules to guarantee the best service, but it’s fairly easy and there are no costs involved! Make sure you wash your bag before sending it to us, as this makes the repair process a whole lot easier. We only accept bags that haven’t been fixed at home. And to make sure we can help everyone out, we can only accept a maximum of 3 bags per person.
Drop your bag off at one of our stores or send it by mail to:
SUSAN BIJL Care & Repair
Oostzeedijk 108 - unit 1
3063 BG Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Add a note with your: name, email, phone number, address and stamps for shipping back. Please describe the damage as well.
In addition to reparations on The New Shopping Bag, we also take care of most other SUSAN BIJL items. For more information about our reparations and details about what we can fix, check our Care & Repair page.
By Danique van Dalen