No Fixed Address Gives Binners the Recognition and Safety They Deserve with 'The Dignity Bag'

In many cities around the world there are a group of hard-working people earning income by collecting refundable containers. They carry them in whatever they can find: shopping carts, plastic bags, bicycle baskets. In Canada they’re called binners or valoristes, catadores in Brazil, canners in New York and pepenadores in Mexico. But their work is not recognized. Not valued. And not seen. Until now.

In Quebec, almost 1.5 million recyclable and refundable containers end up in landfills, dumps and nature. Every day. Meanwhile every container that binners collect gets recycled. They are an essential part of the recycling ecosystem. The Dignity Bag, designed by No Fixed Address in collaboration with working binners from Les Valoristes Coopérative de Solidarité, is the world’s first bag designed to change how binners work and how the world sees them. Not only does it help them work more efficiently and more safely, it gives them the dignity that they all deserve. It takes a big bag to make big change.

The Dignity Bag’s design maximises effectiveness and affordability. It’s built from a single piece of washable light-weight industrial tarp and features high-visibility safety straps, reflective features, easy-access drawstring opening and a 240 can capacity. The same number of cans in the standard plastic bags used by many recycling depots. The design uses bold type printed across the bag’s back, highlighting each city to create a locally relevant team aesthetic that unites all binners under a single icon.

Marica Vazquez Tagliero, xo-director at Les Valoristes Coopérative de Solidarité, said, “Binners are the unsung heroes of recycling in communities around the world. This project can not only change how binners work but lead to real change in terms of how they’re seen. When people start separating refundables for their local binner we’ll know it was all worth it!”

The pilot project launched in Montréal, with a touching film directed by Thomas Soto of Les Enfants, an award-winning young filmmaker already recognised by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. The story focuses on Alexandre (Alex), a working binner from Montréal who consulted on the bag’s design. Photography for OOH and digital assets was handled by Gabrielle Lacasse of Shoot Studio. All production and media was donated for this campaign.

​Jean-Philippe Dugal, creative director at No Fixed Address commented, “This was a very personal project for me. I know working binners and it’s an incredibly tough job. The Dignity Bag not only helps them work more efficiently and more safely, it gives them the visibility - and the dignity - that they deserve. Our goal is simple: to ensure that this tool is fully funded, making it available to binners in communities across Canada.”

This project was created to drive real change in urban neighbourhoods all over the world. If interested in bringing The Dignity Bag to your community, visit TheDignityBag.com.