Bag maker’s scrap idea turns rags to riches

VIENTIANE, Laos — Tailors and dress-makers often throw numerous small pieces of fabric in the trash every day. Sometimes, these rags are destroyed by burning them, which creates carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

But these seemingly useless pieces of fabric are a key part of the business run by Khankeo Xaysanith, the owner of the Phai Exclusive brand. She first got the idea of using them while looking at the waste that was produced when she was making a blouse.

“I thought about whether I could do anything to add value to this waste. The small pieces of cloth still looked good. I also had a bag-making business run by my family and I thought I should combine the two somehow,” said Khankeo.

The family makes bags from bamboo. Khankeo asked tailors to collect the rags and separate them according to the type of fabric, such as silk, cotton and nylon, because each kind of material can be used for a different purpose.

“At first, the tailors thought I was kidding them because they never sold such items. But I told them I really wanted to buy their fabric scraps,” she said.

The remnants left after making traditional long skirts are used to decorate bags, while larger pieces are sewn together to make purses. The smallest pieces are used to make buttons to decorate cotton bags, while some long pieces are used to strengthen and shape bags by sewing them inside.

“These bags have received good feedback from our buyers because this is a new style and they’re also very attractive,” Khankeo said.

The bags not only generate a profit for their designer but also create jobs for local people.

“Many people are working with me full time, and they earn at least 1.5 million kip ($180) a month, depending on how much they produce. Some students use their free time after classes to earn extra money by making fabric buttons at home.

“There were three sisters who earned up to 600,000 to 700,000 kip each month. Some people may think that’s a small amount but it was very important to them.”

Khankeo said the sisters were able to help their parents by using the money to buy the things they needed for classes and uniforms.

“They continued doing this work until they graduated from university. They have stopped now as they are working in offices but they usually visit me on weekends,” she said.