Did you know that a potato chip packet might survive for thousands of years in landfill, or alternately adrift on wind or ocean currants, literally helping to trash the world environment?
If you don’t know, it’s a pretty sure bet you’re not creating survival sleeping bags for people who are unhoused in Hamilton, a city in the Waikato region on New Zealand’s North Island.
When 48 chip bags are fastened together, they are effectively made from the same material as purpose-built emergency blankets. On a concrete sidewalk in winter, one of these creations could provide enough insulation to save a life.
The NZ charity Te Whare Korowai borrowed more than fried potato language from the UK — the pioneering emergency blanket project was developed there in 2019. Read more about the project details and potential language the Waikato Times: Chip packets help Hamilton’s homeless survive winter
There’s also some interesting reading to be had at the UK Crisp Packet Project
