How Lowe Philippines Turned Recycled Shopping Bags into Art

It’s not every day that advertising becomes public art, but recent work from Lowe Philippines and retail company SM Prime Holdings Inc. will be open to the public this month at the SM Aura Premier mall in Taguig City, Manila.

The three ‘Eco Bag’ works are crafted entirely from recycled plastic bags, covers, wrappers and other litter, and depict scenes from the Philippines during flood season. They form part of an award-winning campaign to highlight the environmental perils of plastic bag disposal, and encourage shoppers to consider using less bags and dispose of them more carefully.

Alongside September’s exhibit at SM Aura Premier, there will be a bin for shoppers to donate their existing plastic bags, which in turn will be made into a fourth artwork in the series.

Grace Magno, VP for Advertising SM Prime Holdings Inc., explains: “Typhoon and flood damage has cost the Philippines billions of dollars and thousands of lives. But what many people don’t realize is the role that refuse, in particular plastic bags, plays in this problem. When discarded on the streets, these items end up blocking our drains – which has been a major contributor to our country’s flooding issues. Most times when we go shopping, we accumulate bags; so where better to communicate this environmental message than in a shopping mall?”

Lowe Philippines’ Chief Creative Officer & President, Leigh Reyes, adds: “So much suffering and damage occurs because of the misuse and disposal of plastic bags, and yet it can be remedied with a simple change in behaviour. The Eco Bag campaign is intended to both raise awareness of this issue, and also give people a notable and alternative way to remember it: art!”

The SM Aura Premier display will feature three large Eco Bag works, titled “Kids”, “Dudes” and “Grandma”, each around 4 feet square. While being a fun, free addition to a shopper’s day, the exhibit also aims to carry home an important message. The artworks will be on display from the evening of 5 September until 14 September 2014.