Recycled Ziploc Bags Become Usable Umbrellas in Japanese Train Stations

Clear vinyl umbrellas with simple black handles are ubiquitous in Japan, but the unique blue and pink stripes on this one look a little familiar, don't they? That's because this one is a part of the new Ziploc Recycle Program, a collaboration between the Japanese manufacturers of Ziploc products, multiple recycling-focused groups, and a popular Japanese fashion brand. The program aims to collect used Ziploc plastic bags, and recycle them into something useful once again!

The end result of this recycling program is the Ziploc umbrella, designed by Beams Couture, a Japanese fashion brand with a history of taking Ziploc design to the next level. The umbrellas feature the recognizable Ziploc logo, and in place of a hand-written date you'll find "Beams Couture" scribbled in its own unique font. Of course the stripes of blue and pink aren't just random, either―they're a clear reference to the Ziploc seal found on the plastic bags that were used to make this new umbrella.

Love Ziploc bags (!?) and want to buy a Ziploc umbrella next time you visit Japan? Well, they're not for sale! But that doesn't mean you can't find a way to use one for the day. The umbrellas are part of umbrella rental service (or "umbrella-share") Ikasa, which we've talked about before. Ikasa allows commuters and everyone else traveling through Japan to pick up an umbrella in the station before venturing out into an unexpected downpour, and then return the umbrella back to a train station when the rain stops. The Ziploc umbrellas are specifically be available at Ikasa kiosks along the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, which stops at 26 stations from Ikebukuro, Tokyo to Hanno, Saitama. (Hanno is home to Moomin Valley Park, the Moomin theme park outside of Tokyo!)

Thinking about renting a Ziploc umbrella? Send us a picture―we'd love to see! And don't forget to follow Japankuru for more updates and info from Japan, on twitter, instagram, and facebook!