Yumika, Peco Bag: Reusable Bags made from Recycled Plastic Bottles
"Change a habit, change the world."
Launched in 2019, eco-friendly brand Peco Bag, was started by eco-warrior and model-host-actress, Yumika Hoskin. Originally from Melbourne, Yumika moved to Singapore in hopes of deepening her career path in Hosting. As she always loved nature growing up in Australia, she soon realised the extensive impact on the environment that individuals had in the choices they make. This gradually spurred her on to seek out more conversations on the sustainability and conservation fronts. Hear from Yumika below, adapted from her recent interview with Harpers Bazaar:
How did you begin your journey of eco-conscious living?
I always loved nature growing up in Australia and I suppose it was a slow awakening to consciousness, over how individual choices and actions impact our environment. We were blind to it for so long until it started to show up in our favourite places. You can’t go to any beach anymore without having rubbish wash onto you from the waves or waste blanketing our sand. I was always taught to recycle at home and never questioned if recycled waste really made it to the recycling facilities. When I moved to Singapore, it was confusing to find out only 4% of plastics here make it to recycling. My first step was figuring out where and how can I reduce my waste? From that curiosity and action turned into a responsibility, I became part of the reusable movement which eventually led me to creating my own brand “Peco Bag”.
What inspired you to start Peco Bag?
Peco Bag was seeded from my constant frustrations at supermarkets. There is so much waste from the methods of packing groceries into single-use plastic bags, especially as I believe that the first step towards a positive change starts with changing a habit. Initially, I would opt to just carry some home and pack the rest into my backpack. But then I came to terms with the hard-hitting facts – that all the plastic we have used in our lifetime still exists since it’s not biodegradable and more than often not recycled. So then I opted for the tote bag. However, I found myself forgetting to bring them or I would be deterred from bringing them because they were bulky and… ugly. So I wanted to solve this!
I wanted to find a method to encourage a change in habit conveniently so everyone would bring their own reusable bag, which led me to create the Peco Bag. An all-in-one bag that incorporates convenience, aesthetics, durability and sustainability. I tested it for over a year with samples and finally perfected my perfect reusable bag!
About Peco Bag
At Peco Bag, we want to inspire change. Inspire the need to tweak habits and encourage consumers to educate themselves on the war against single use plastics.
We recognise the need for immediate action in order to repair the irreversible damages done to our precious ecosystems. The first step is introducing change conveniently. We mix trend, convenience and sustainability all into one universal cheeky character. Meet our hero seeker, "Peco bag".
Shop Boxes with Peco Bag here
