TAKE TWO

A collective of women in Hout Bay is transforming plastic into chic crocheted accessories – and they are empowering friends to do the same. The result? An artist-driven and sustainable project that turns rubbish into something remarkable.

- CHRISTI NORTIER

Re.Bag.Re.Use is one of the lockdown projects that stuck. Founder Regine Le Roux jokes that her ‘daytime business’, repuation measurement company Reputation Matters, is her 18-year-old and Re.Bag.Re.Use is her 18-month-old. The toddler may keep her busy, but working with the 10 creative crocheters brings her huge meaning and joy, she shares. We squeezed in a chat with her to hear more about how the project started, why people should see plastic in a new light and where she sees the initiative headed.

1. How was the project started?

I’ve always crocheted at night as a hobby. During the lockdown, I started experimenting with all kinds of materials. I recalled seeing women crocheting with plastic, so I thought I’d try it – I had the time! My first attempt was a disaster, but I didn’t want to give up. I tried using cut up bread bags and that worked beautifully. At that time, a friend of mine asked me to teach a group of women in our area, Hout Bay, how to crochet. I just taught them the basics and I showed them my experiments, just out of interest. I could see that this really piqued their interest, so I showed them how to do it. Soon enough, they had found other women to cut the plastic while we crocheted.