Pia Anker, Ruby Dunn, Jemma Holley and Amber Northam from 5/6G are taking unwanted t-shirts and singlets and transforming them into bags that can be used for a variety of purposes.

Teacher Kasey Brown said her students were asked to come up with a business plan as part of class.

“We are teaching the students business skills and trying to encourage them to create recycled products,” she said.

“Included in that they will hold an environmental expo day at the end of term where the students will be selling their products.”

The girls say the eco-bags are simple to make and involve no sewing. Starting with a t-shirt, they cut off the sleeves and into the neckline and then cut strips at the bottom, which they then tie together so there are no holes.

The first bags they made included the use of old school sport representative shirts.

“They were just going to go to waste,” said Jemma.

Everyone in class 5/6G also made one bag during an art session. “It’s probably the coolest art session we’ve had,” said Jemma.

She also likes the idea that you can ‘design’ your own bag. “You can use you’re favourite t-shirt and then it doesn’t go to waste.”

The girls are enjoying being part of something that helps the environment.

“We can use them for shopping bags,” said Pia, while Ruby added that “someone could use them as beach bags to take to the beach.”

With shops including Woolworths and Coles phasing out the use of plastic bags next year, Amber said re-purposed bags such as these will be useful.

The girls manned a stall at the Education Week expo at Old Bar Public School to show visiting parents, grandparents and carers what they have been doing and took donations of unwanted t-shirts and singlets.

The girls said they were only meant to take pre-orders for bags on the day but there was a lot of interest and that people started buying them.

The 5/6G students have also created a video about their environmental initiatives that was presented to the school during an assembly.

The re-purposed bags are $3 and from August 9, have been available before school and at lunchtimes.

“We’re also having a market day to sell stuff at the end of term,” added Ruby.