Sainsbury’s being hit by criticism because of claims it’s "green" shopping bag designed by Anya Hindmarch is anything but ethical. The bags were made in China which is well known for having appalling labor conditions. The supermarket was also criticized for not using fair trade cotton.
The store claims the factory in China was checked to make sure that the workers were not exploited. It also pointed out that it had never claimed the bag was fair trade or organic.
Customers bought 2000 of the £5 bags in just an hour, Hindmarch’s bags normally retail at about £1,175. The idea is that customers reuse the bags instead of plastic carrier bags. People bid up to £100 for the bags on Ebay.
A spokeman for Sainsbury’s said: The point of the bag is that it isn't plastic and can be reused. "The bag was designed to raise awareness of the use of disposable plastic bags, a goal which it has achieved internationally." He added.
A spokesman for Anya Hindmarsh said: "Our aim has been to use our influence to make it fashionable not to use plastic bags. 'I'm Not A Plastic Bag' was designed to be a stylish, practical, reusable bag that would raise awareness of this issue and spark debate. We feel that we have achieved this aim beyond our wildest dreams."
Robyn Walker