Helping people and the environment

‘We’re all people who share this earth, and it’s my responsibility to ensure the person next to me has access to basic requirements,’ Oleita says.

‘We have a serious climate concern, and the individuals who are most affected are the economically disadvantaged.’

It was not only logical but also feasible to work with abandoned chip bags. They are only recyclable at specialized facilities, which means that only a very small amount is recycled.

They are, however, excellent insulators that, when recycled, produce waterproof, lightweight, and portable sleeping bags that keep people warm.

Everything from snack bags to sleeping bags

Before an empty bag of Doritos can become part of a comforting blanket, a lot of things must happen.

Oleita begins by cutting apart each bag, revealing the inside foil lining, and soaking it in hot, soapy water for 24 hours.

They’re ready for assembly after they’ve air-dried, which includes putting them in a line (similar to a quilt) and ironing them so the polymers in the bags melt and fuse together.

She lines the sleeping bags with old jackets and blankets collected by the organization for increased comfort and insulation, and she adds discarded vinyl and thicker plastic to fuse with the chip bags to make the finished product more robust.

A sleeping bag takes around 14 hours to produce and requires 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they are single servings or family size.

When a batch of sleeping bags is finished, volunteers from the Chip Bag Project distribute them to anyone in need on Detroit’s streets.

Big picture thinking

Oleita has worked as a community organizer for over a decade and has been homeless herself. As a result, she realized that her charity needed to do more than just distribute sleeping bags.

‘I don’t effect economic change by handing out sleeping bags,’she explains. ‘This isn’t just about trash.’

That is a passive strategy. I’m wondering how we might bring individuals into the fold without blaming them.

‘Where can we develop equitable solutions that take everyone’s well-being and human rights into account?’