Center City District teams up with Baker Industries
to re purpose street banners into a new fashion accessory

What happens to the banners that line the streets promoting Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza performance once the show is over? Or banners touting Ben Franklin’s Tercentenary once the celebration ends? Quite frankly, they pile up in storage.

But now, Philadelphia's Center City District has found a way to recycle them as beautiful tote bags. Hand-made from durable polypoplin fabric, no two are alike. These eco friendly, carry-all totes have two interior pockets and are generously proportioned (17”x14.5”x 4.5”), making them perfect as beach-bags, for carrying groceries, or returning books to the library.

Baker Industries will fabricate these unused banners into retail-ready tote bags. Sustainability and quality of construction is key. The bags will be produced locally, utilizing laundering services from Philacor, a vocational training program of the Philadelphia Prison System and fabrication expertise of Baker Industries.  Baker can manufacture up to four bags from a single banner, before checking them for quality and shipping to local retailers.

The initial run of bags will include the Red Bull Soap Box Race 2008, Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2003 Christoph Eschenbach Welcome banners, Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza, the Ben Franklin Tercentenary, and CCD’s Welcome banner. All bags are a limited edition and when they’re gone — that’s it.

They can be purchased at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts gift shop at 128 North Broad Street and at Open House at 107 South 13th Street. Additional retailers will be carrying the bags beginning in the fall. For additional information on how cultural institutions can recycle their own banners or how boutiques can sell the bags, contact KellyAnn Farrelly at the Center City District at 215.440.5500.