Holiday cheer that makes waste disappear
Ridwell members and fans are familiar with the bags we use to collect items from your bins. With 50,000 members and growing - each with 5 bags at home at any given time and 5 clean bags ready to swap - we have over 500,000 bags in circulation! And like anything that gets a lot of use, our bags wear out and get damaged along the way. It’s hard work being a Ridwell bag! With so many bags around, it’s impossible not to be constantly thinking of ways to reuse or repurpose our damaged bags before disposing of them with our other Threads materials.
Over 500,000 Ridwell bags in circulation at any given time!
This holiday season we came up with a fun idea to spread holiday cheer with our worn bags by turning them into mini Ridwell ornaments. We are excited and proud to deepen our relationship with Refugee Artisan Initiative, a Seattle-based organization that partners with immigrant women to foster a prosperous, inclusive transition to the United States through artisan skills training in zero waste and small batch manufacturing. RAI is a Ridwell community partner that takes fleece, fabric and other materials from our Seattle members to use as base materials for their artisan crafts.
These ornaments drive real impact
Supply refugee artisans with free materials for their craft
Reuse materials that would otherwise be recycled through our local Threads partner. Recycling is great, but reuse is better!
Financially support recent Afghan refugees (and new moms!) in earning an income while working from home.
Receive hand-crafted ornaments to display as a symbol and reminder for Ridwell’s belief that small actions add up.
And the best part, we’re giving these ornaments to Ridwell members as a special thank you gift with purchase of a Ridwell gift card*.
*while supplies last
More About The Ridwell Ornaments
Each Ridwell ornament is one-of-a-kind, cut from salvaged material from damaged Ridwell bags. The ornament tie cord is sourced from the same bags. Each ornament holds its shape thanks to a reused styrofoam packing peanut. Who knew reuse could be so cute? (That’s a trick question - we did!) The ornaments are handcrafted by recent Afghan refugees who are part of RAI. Sewing is done from home to fit these new moms’ schedules. Ridwell members can opt in to receive an ornament after purchase of a Ridwell gift card, while supplies last. In an effort to minimize our carbon footprint and alleviate additional stress on supply chains, all ornaments will be delivered in-bin following the regular pick up schedule between December 13 - 24th.
More About Refugee Artisan Initiative
From RAI website
RAI was founded by Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman, an immigrant herself from Taiwan. Drawing on her own experience, she built RAI to educate, employ and foster refugee and immigrant women.
Ming-Ming’s grandmother sewed all their clothing by hand, which led Ming-Ming to develop a deep appreciation and respect for the talent, hard work and dedication within the sewing trade. When Ming-Ming immigrated from Taiwan, she got an education and became a pharmacist, but wanted to help other immigrant women like herself achieve financial independence. With global crises bringing refugees and immigrants to the US in record numbers, she saw an opportunity to reach these women and help them build a better life for themselves and their families. Her outreach grew into an opportunity to turn her passion into a non-profit business. RAI welcomes every artisan with care and support.
If you are interested in further supporting RAI, visit their artisan product shop (use Ridwell15 for 15% off), partner with them to commission and manufacture your own idea or support them via materials or financial donation.
