Japan's Wrap Attack: Reduce Waste With the 'Mottainai' Furoshiki
by Alex Pasternack, New York, NY 
on 12.13.06
The Japanese "furoshiki," or "cloth for the bath," was first used in the 14th century as a way to wrap one's clothes while taking a public bath. Over the years, its uses were limited only by imagination and technique. That is, until the plastic bag went big in Japan (and everywhere). As Yuriko Koike, Japan's Minister of the Environment points out, this seems like a pretty good time to bring wrap back on a global scale. It's reusable, durable and versatile--and it makes wrapping and carrying stuff a heck of a lot more stylish than your typical sack of polyethylene. Many can be found here, but Koike has released her own version, its gorgeous birds-and-flowers motif on fiber manufactured from recycled PET bottles, apparently available only in Japan for now. She adds the word "mottainai" to indicate how shameful it is to waste something that hasn't fully been used. And how wonderful it would be to use the furoshiki (or any big, durable and pretty cloth) this holiday as both wrapping and present.
A cute instructional video and diagrams here and here explain how to dispatch waste and put a cloth to all its uses.
: : Japan Ministry of the Environment via Lifehacker.
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That's very cool. I might start carrying my gym clothes that way. Seems more durable than a plastic bag, anyway.
It also kinda looks like the bags hobos carry their stuff in in older cartoons.
Furoshiki is an amazing ancient concept of non-waste:
haute*nature: furoshiki wrapping
i love Furoshiki it is increadably kl ill use it alot
I've put up some videos demonstrating how to use furoshiki and thought you might like to take a look.
http://www.ungab.com/category/type/tutorials/furoshiki
I'll be making more soon. :)
Check out the green products at www.furoshikibynara.com
this company is modeled after the ancient art of the furoshiki but applying it to modern times through patterns and styles and demonstrating how green it can really be!