Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2014

Garbage Bag Art Work is trying to change the image of trash itself. The environmentally conscious group reasons that, while nobody likes to think about the “problem” of garbage, bags with cute and appealing patterns might encourage people to think of the “fun” of it—thereby raising awareness while improving the aesthetic of streetside trash. Among its varied products, the group offers bags printed with huge vegetable images (¥216 for 5) made from recycled farm polyethylene, while a team-up with conservationist Mottainai project has produced bags blazoned with weeping animals representing species vulnerable to global warming (¥540 for 10).