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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
PLASTIC WASTE & Beautiful Bags By Anthea Campbell
There are many wonderful stories behind brands and companies. Tessa O'Halloran's journey to creating creating beautiful bags from upcycled plastic waste is fascinating and inspirational. EBL: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. TESSA: I am Tessa O'Halloran, and currently live in Graaff-Reinet. I was born in Pietermaritzburg in KZN and have lived in Gaborone, Botswana as well as in Cape Town. I'm 23 years old, a small business and sustainability enthusiast, and the founder of plasticity.
Photo Credit: Plasticitiy
EBL: What made you start your business, was it a light bulb moment or did you see a gap in the market place? TESSA: I was curious to see if I could create useful things from the abundance of plastic waste I saw polluting the environment around me. It was an experiment to begin with, which led to simple handstitched products, and the intrigue around working with waste materials only grew. It was a lightbulb moment from our first pencil case sewn from the plastic material I had created which sparked the journey, to where we are today. I also saw a gap in the market for handmade and unique products made from plastic waste. Our products are different because the material is completely fused and designed by hand.
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