CHILE: From rubbish to runway: Santiago puts on a fashion show to encourage people to recycle

Record ID: 197617

  • Title: CHILE: From rubbish to runway: Santiago puts on a fashion show to encourage people to recycle
  • Date: 20th May 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RECYCLING WORKSHOP COORDINATOR, SUSANA MUNOZ, SAYING: "The question is what do you do with plastic? What do you do with paper? What do you do with all these things? So we have tried to give them a purpose and more than anything with the plastic bags because they are terrible pollutants. So I asked myself, 'What can I do with plastic bags?' And so we made dresses."
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Chile, Chile
  • Country: Chile
  • Topics: Entertainment,Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA3QPBFSA2GBSLOVZYI6WPRMHUB
  • Story Text: When encouraging people to recycle one doesn't often think of turning to the catwalk.
    But the Chilean government brought on fashion design students to help put together this unusual show in Santiago on Wednesday (May 18).
    Everything from cardboard to coins, CDs, wrapping paper, matchsticks and bottle caps were used to make these haute couture creations.
    Some rummaged through the compost bin, with milk cartons, paddle pop sticks and even old tea bags.
    Chilean Environment Minister said it is all in the name of broadening people's perspectives on what it means to recycle.
    "We want people to be more aware of how to manage their garbage so that we all realize that not everything that goes out in the rubbish has to be thrown away. Things can be reused, recycled and we can even use the things we would throw away to make clothes, as we can see here in this show," said Chilean Environment Minister, Maria Benitez, said.
    Susana Munoz, one of the teachers who organized the show, said one of the biggest challenges was how to make the common plastic bag a fashion item.
    "The question is what do you do with plastic? What do you do with paper? What do you do with all these things? So we have tried to give them a purpose and more than anything with the plastic bags because they are terrible pollutants. So I asked myself, 'What can I do with plastic bags?' And so we made dresses," Munoz said.
    Twenty-eight outfits in total were in the parade - stretching the imagination in just how far refuse can be reused.
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