Contributing together to (fashionable) sustainability in Rotterdam

11/14/19

The Rotterdam locals are often characterised by their ‘actions speak louder than words’ mentality. This will be all the more evident on Friday 15 November during the CleanUp Walk. Everyone is called upon to clear the streets and riverbanks of plastic waste near de Keilehaven. It’s time for action! This will be done prior to the re-release of the sustainable Rotterdam edition of The New Shopping Bag from SUSAN BIJL.

If you like to live sustainably, then you have probably been using The New Shopping Bag from SUSAN BIJL for a long time. For Rotterdammers who like to express their sustainable nature and ‘Rotterdammership’ literally, the re-release of The New Shopping Bag in ‘Wena & Rotte’ – the Rotterdam green-white-green – is not to be missed. The bag made from 100% recycled ripstop nylon was presented in the spring of 2019. It sold out in no time and will be available again from Friday 15 November. The bag was developed in collaboration with Rotterdam Tourist Information, part of Rotterdam Partners, the city’s marketing organisation.

Clean Up Walk

For 19 years, SUSAN BIJL has been working on making the production process of the bag, conceived in 2000 as a sustainable alternative to plastic bags, more sustainable. With this re-release of SUSAN BIJL ♥ Rotterdam, the Rotterdam brand is taking an important step in the greening of the iconic bag as it is the first collection made from 100% recycled material. To reinforce the message of sustainability, SUSAN BIJL and Recycled Island Foundation are organising the CleanUp Walk through the Keilehaven from 15:00 to 17:00. The collected plastic will be recycled by Recycled Island Foundation for the construction of new plastic traps, floating parks and furniture.

Sustainable business in Rotterdam

SUSAN BIJL is, of course, not the only sustainable Rotterdam brand that fights for a cleaner world and plastic-free oceans. Below are four truly-Rotterdam fashion brands that contribute to a cleaner world.

Less plastic

Foekje Fleur

With her bottle vases, Foekje Fleur van Duin draws attention to the plastic soup that unfortunately also contaminates ‘our’ Maas. With her Bubble Buddy made from recycled plastic, she wants to be part of the solution.

Sustainable from sketch to fabric to production

Joline Jolink

Fashion designer Joline Jolink creates sustainable, wears sustainable and in short is as sustainable as she can be. That means: as many sustainably produced fabrics as possible, no overproduction and, therefore, no surpluses, no sale. Only timeless items that transcend ‘the trend’ and, therefore, not only work wonders in your wardrobe but also protect Mother Nature as much as possible.

From waste to raw material

Fruitleather

At least 1.3 trillion tons of food is thrown away annually worldwide. Design duo Fruitleather Rotterdam converts discarded fruit into durable leathery material that is strong enough to make items like shoes and handbags.

Slow fashion

KEES

KEES makes slow fashion: hand-made from 100% recycled material from the Dutch garbage dump. By working with waste material, KEES keeps production costs low and KEES can offer its products at an affordable price.

Rotterdam Tourist Information, SUSAN BIJL and Recycled Island Foundation invite everyone to participate in the CleanUp Walk. The launch of the bag and accompanying drinks will take place afterwards. ‘Wena & Rotte’ from SUSAN BIJL ♥ ROTTERDAM can be purchased exclusively from Rotterdam Tourist Information and the SUSAN BIJL flagship store from 15 November.

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