Engage(ingly) Green

I spotted Leonor Mendoza’s super-cool Engage Green bags in Grand Central at the Christmas Bazaar as I was zooming by to catch a bus to JFK airport, and I had to stop! I was so caught up in her descriptions and checking out the bags that I almost missed my ride! They first caught my eye because they are gorgeous, and second because I could tell they were made of unusual materials. My eye didn’t lie: Leonor constructs her bags variously from recycled paper and plastic, cork, organic cotton and hemp.

recycled paper tote

recycled paper makeup bag

recycled paper purse

recycled plastic (PET)

cork, organic cotton and hemp

organic cotton and hemp

bags, design, Recycling, Shopping

Starre Vartan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Eco-Chick and author of The Eco-Chick Guide to Life (St. Martin's Press). A problogger and oft-quoted green living expert who has been featured in the NYTimes, Elle, Glamour and Whole Living, she is a contributor to The Huffington Post, Inhabitat, and Hearst's The Daily Green, and is currently editor-at-large for Coco Eco Magazine. An active ecofashionista, she has style edited for Plenty magazine and coordinated runway shows. She splits her time between Connecticut and NYC and calls Sydney, Australia her second home, even though it was her first (as that's where she was born and most of her family resides). When not writing, blogging, or researching her next book, she is trailrunning, trying to cook, or snowboarding.

9 Comments on “Engage(ingly) Green”

Larkyn
Ooo love these, great find. Check out these wacky recycled bags from Etsy seller Recycled Rings.
http://ecosalon.zingstudios.co.....ycledrings
01/31/08 » 4:08 pm »
Living Roundup: A Lifetime of Yoga, Natalie Portman’s Vegan Shoes, Ohio Says No to SUVs in HOV Lanes & More - Gaiam Experts Blog
[...] Engagingly Green Bags [...]
02/01/08 » 4:10 pm »
TheGoGreenBlog
Wow! These are way cute! Thanks for sharing…my sister’s b-day is just around the corner and i think I just found the perfect gift.
02/05/08 » 11:58 am »
Valerie
I would love to sell these bags. I’m opening an eco-friendly organic apothecary and spa in NJ. I did a Google but I can’t find her except on your blog.
02/06/08 » 4:08 pm »
Susie Montgomery
These look great. How do I get in touch with Leonor Mendoza if I want her to sell her bags at a charity Christmas bazaar??
thanks,
SKM
09/21/08 » 8:48 am »
Susie Montgomery
These look great. How do I get in touch with Leonor Mendoza if I want her to sell her bags at a charity Christmas bazaar??
thanks,
SKM
09/21/08 » 8:48 am »
Susie Montgomery
These look great. How do I get in touch with Leonor Mendoza if I want her to sell her bags at a charity Christmas bazaar??
thanks,
SKM
09/21/08 » 8:48 am »
Jessica
her website is http://www.engagegreen.com/
Fabulous stuff!!! …and so very worth buying!!
11/06/08 » 4:35 pm »
Julia
These bags are very eye-catching and innovative! Engage Green’s designer Leonor Mendoza is certainly breaking new boundaries with not only the styles but also the materials used! To see more of these bags you can check out our selection at http://www.juteandjackfruit.com.
02/03/09 » 12:11 pm »