Twreke Campaign

For World Environment Day, 5 June, Hiwa Foundation teamed up with the environmental group PAK and launched our Twreke campaign. Twreke is the Kurdish word for ‘tote bag,’ and the aim of the campaign was to raise awareness around the harm caused to the environment by the use of plastic bags, encouraging people to switch to reusable cotton tote bags when doing their shopping.

The twreke were designed and made by #MrwariDesigns, and painted by students from the Graphics department of the College of Art. Our wonderful teams of volunteers, supported by the lovely staff at City Star Supermarket, distributed the bags and spoke to local shoppers about the harmful effects of plastic, and the dangers that come with the material being an integral part of all of our daily lives.

Shoppers were educated on some of the shocking statistics associated with plastic usage, like the fact that plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. It is hoped that the more people are aware of the harmful effects of plastic, the more they will make informed decisions to switch to recyclable materials. Hiwa Foundation believes that we can all play our part by taking small steps to create a healthier environment.