Useful but Also Sustainable — A Roundup of Items Good for the Planet and Everyday Life
Is there an item out there that helps with daily life without harming the environment? In search of an answer, we picked out sustainable, useful finds from the *Shopping Bag Letter in ‘Pitch by Letter’.
Words Parc Jinmyoung
To. You Who Kept Tumblers at a Distance Because They’re Heavy
I finally found it: a collapsible tumbler you roll up for storage! And it even seals tight. I knew it was the one the moment I saw it. Do humans just want to be endlessly more convenient, or have we really become this earnest about protecting the environment? Either way, if it cuts down on disposable waste, I’m in! If you keep using a product you bought once for a long, long time, you get that much closer to what its makers intended: reducing single-use trash.
It certainly seems that, lately, both producers and buyers are showing interest in eco-friendly products for all sorts of reasons. As proof, the silicone Handy Bottle once surpassed 10,000 percent of its goal on the crowdfunding platform Wadiz.
Silipot, the company behind the Handy Bottle, mainly makes silicone household goods. If a reusable container made of silicone sounds a bit stale, take a look at this one’s sealing function. A screw cover wraps the seam between the lid and the silicone body once more, so the contents won’t leak or burst out. Slip the rolled-up body into its strap and it shrinks in volume, making it far easier to carry and store. It also keeps drinks cold or hot from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius, another plus. It feels like a product that does everything silicone can do. One caution, though: be careful when you pour in hot water. It has FDA certification, so there’s no need to worry about microplastics, but you could get burned (what about heat resistance..?).
Silipot Handy Bottle 400ml: 18,000 won
To. You Who Want a One-of-a-Kind Case All Your Own
During Black Friday season, my eyes and hands are busy with the drastic discounts pouring in from every brand. Yet my wallet doesn’t open so readily, probably because of the abnormal weather and climate disasters around the globe: heat waves, brutal cold snaps, torrential rain and wildfires. It has long been pointed out that Black Friday events, which push people to consume, harm the environment, since the carbon footprint grows while an order is produced and delivered to the buyer. Still, looking at my tattered iPhone case, I can’t help feeling the urge to shop.
That’s when I came across phone cases from Plastic Ark, with pop colors and unique patterns. My eyes lit up when I learned they were upcycled from discarded plastic. I first got to know Plastic Ark, whose name means “ark of plastic,” through the planters it makes. The planter, called Dirty Pot, is also made from waste plastic. The raw material is collected either by receiving PCR (post-consumer recycled plastic) produced in Korea or by taking in PIR (post-industrial recycled plastic, i.e., industrial waste) whose quality is guaranteed by the companies supplying it. Individuals can join in, too, by sending waste plastic to Plastic Ark in exchange for reward points. If you’re thinking, “Isn’t this just like any other upcycling brand these days?”, think again. Plastic Ark developed its own technology, dubbed “No coating, No painting, No bonding,” and applies it to its products. When it was first preparing the brand, it was hard to find a manufacturer that could realize the patterns it wanted, so it built custom equipment itself and won over producers with the effort of making samples. Now it has met partners who recognize its good purpose and intentions, and production is going smoothly.
The Polypop phone case is made the same way. Made from waste plastic, it is exceptionally light, and with its unique pattern, it becomes a one-of-a-kind case that is yours alone.
Plastic Ark Polypop: 43,000 won
To. You Who Are Curious About Tongyeong’s Luxury Bag
In the summer of 2024, I went on a business trip to Tongyeong. I reported on what’s happening in *Bongsugol, a neighborhood known to locals for its cherry blossoms and its alley of steamed fish restaurants. What impressed me most about Bongsugol, where you can find modest, intimate beauty everywhere, is how easily and naturally you encounter art wherever you go!
Tongyeong is the birthplace of countless artists, including the painter Jeon Hyeokrim, the poet Kim Chun-su, the novelist Park Kyong-ni and the composer Isang Yun. Behind this lies the Twelve Workshops (Sibigongbang) that Admiral Yi Sun-sin set up during the Imjin War. The number twelve here carries the meaning of including everything, as in expressions like “a twelve-panel skirt” or “twelve fathoms of water” (that is, it encompasses a wide range of workshops). When Admiral Yi set up camp on Hansando Island during the Imjin War and made the area a base for supplying war materiel, artisans who made everyday goods and crafts, from military supplies to royal gifts, gathered in Tongyeong. There was Seonjabang, which made fans; Hwawonbang, which painted; Yajangbang, which worked metal; Sanghachilbang, which did lacquering; Somokbang, which made woodcraft; and more. These workshops have come and gone with the trends and have carried on for more than 400 years.
Peniel, a nubi (Korean quilting) workshop in Bongsugol, is one of them. A nubi craftswoman mother, with her skills, and her daughter, with her modern sensibility, make a variety of small goods such as bags and wallets. According to the mother, owner Kang Geumja, nubi is a sewing technique in which batting is placed between the outer fabric and the lining and the layers are stitched together with a running stitch. It is so durable that it was once worn as armor to cushion the impact of weapons in war. She said with confidence that, in craftsmanship and technique, it stands comparison with any luxury bag, and her words had me opening my wallet yet again! It’s one of the mini bags in vogue these days, quilted in high-quality Japanese fabric, and its cool color, reminiscent of Tongyeong’s blue sea, means I carry it everywhere all summer like a tattoo. I do wish it closed with a magnet instead of a snap button, which would be more convenient.
*Read our 3-Day, 2-Night Tongyeong Bongsugol travel journal
To. You Who Want a Bag That’s Good for the Planet and for Humanity
Remember Toms shoes? The footwear brand drew attention with its “One for One” policy: for every pair sold, it donated a pair to a barefoot child in a developing country. A social brand with a similar concept has now appeared in Korea. Jerrybag is a bag brand inspired by the jerrycan, the plastic container used to carry water in Kenya, Uganda, and other parts of Africa. Under the slogan “Buy 1, Give 1,” it donates a water-jug bag to Uganda for every Jerrybag bag sold.
Children in these areas carry heavy water containers along dangerous unpaved roads several times a day. In fact, Uganda has a high rate of traffic-related deaths among infants and young children. The water-jug bag Jerrybag donates lets children carry the container on their shoulders. It is made with light-reflecting material and carries a “Slow Down” message asking drivers to reduce their speed. The brand reportedly runs a design studio in Uganda and works with local designers it has hired.
Jerrybag’s recycled casual backpack, which carries life in Uganda in its very design, is made of 100 percent polyester from recycled PET bottles. It comes with a keyring shaped like the jerrycan that inspired the brand and a pedestrian-safety reflector strap. It is roomy enough for a 15-inch laptop and water-resistant for everyday use, so it’s easy to carry anywhere, for anything.
Jerrybag Recycled Casual Backpack: KRW 46,000
To. Those Tired of Brands’ Eco-Friendly Claims
Last spring, Pitch by Letter introduced a pair of sneakers (Allbirds running shoe review). Perhaps it was the urge to head off somewhere light on our feet in the warm weather. We couldn’t let this spring pass without a pair either, so this time we’re featuring sustainable sneakers: Mother Ground’s “Apple” sneakers. They are made from byproducts left over from making apple products such as apple jam and apple juice. Did you doubt your ears at “sneakers from apple scraps”? It’s possible, apparently. Apple peels and cores discarded during food production are dried and ground into powder, then mixed with recycled polyurethane to create “apple leather.” It is breathable and durable enough to be considered a worthy alternative to animal leather.
With so many brands touting eco-friendly materials these days, this alone may not feel especially fresh. In that case, take a look at the footprint Mother Ground’s sneakers leave behind. Not a figure of speech, but an actual footprint! The real charm of Mother Ground’s sneakers lies in the outsole. Mother Ground is a brand that wants to walk while leaving a good mark on the earth, and it has put plenty of stories into the outsole. Textures from nature, reminiscent of contour lines and tree patterns, are pressed into the outsole so that every step makes you think of nature.
Mother Ground openly shares the costs of every stage, from each product’s materials and processes to packaging, along with information about its producers. Because it sells only through its own online platform to cut distribution fees, customers can buy at a reasonable price while makers focus solely on making well. A system that considers the coexistence of nature and people, and of consumers and makers, may be something every brand on this earth should consider.
Mother Ground RS01 GUO Apple: KRW 138,000