Invisible Sisters – The Making of Recycled Plastic Chic Bags

The Invisible Sisters is a program that offers poverty stricken people of Manila, Philippines a chance to earn a much needed income while at the same time reducing trash found on the city streets. This inspirational program is founded by Ann Wizer, an American visual artist and environmentalist who has been living in Asia for the last 25 years. It all began in 2008 when Ann gathered a group of housewives and grandmothers from the urban poor communities and began teaching them crochet and knitting in her garage.

The invisible sisters create recycled plastic bags from computer wires, used dry cleaner and plastic bags, plastic straws, hard drives, CDs and DVDs, mother boards, cassette and video tapes, and other unseen factory waste using only a crochet hook (that cost less than 1 dollar). To ensure the bags do not contain any harmful substances, the trash gathered from the city streets are first disinfected before being sent to the sisters for knitting.

Once the bags are completed, they are picked up and sold for profit by representatives of the program. The revenue received are distributed back to the knitters.

To learn more, donate, or participate, visit the Invisible Sister’s website.

---