Japanese women who don't indulge in the national passion of buying designer bags and who care about the environment may soon have an alternative — their bra.
A lingerie maker, in a bid to discourage Japanese from using plastic bags, has unveiled a bra whose cup padding unfolds to become a handheld shopping bag.
Lingerie maker Triumph has regularly designed bras aimed at drawing attention to social issues and to raise its own profile. Last year it unveiled a bra that can be heated in a microwave so as to help save on indoor heating costs.
PHOTO: AFP
The "Bra Rangers" — named in a nod to the television characters that change into superheroes — come with matching underwear with pockets the inscribed with the message, "No more plastic bags!"
The bra-turned-bag is made of polyester fiber created through recycling. The bra straps can be tied onto the bag as ribbons.
Japanese shops hand out some 30 billion plastic bags per year, of which nearly a third of them are thrown away without being reused, said Triumph.
Few businesses, faced with tough competition, will risk alienating customers by not handing out bags, Triumph International Japan said. "In this context, what deserves the most attention is the significance of each and every customer understanding the importance of not using plastic bags," it said in a statement.
Triumph said it had applied for a patent for the eco-bra, although it has no plans for now to put it on general sale. (AFP)
不沉迷於瘋狂採購設計師包款風氣、且關懷環境的日本女性，將有另一項選擇——胸罩。
一家內衣商為了勸阻民眾別使用塑膠袋，已設計一款罩杯襯墊可展開變手提購物袋的胸罩。
內衣商黛安芬定期會設計出關注社會議題並增加收益的胸罩。去年黛安芬推出了一款可以微波加熱的胸罩，幫民眾節省屋內暖氣的費用。
「胸罩特警」（Bra Rangers）是以變身為超級英雄的電視角色命名，配成一套的內衣口袋上寫著「終結塑膠袋！」的訊息。
可變環保袋的胸罩是由再生的聚酯纖維製成。胸罩肩帶可以繫在環保袋上當裝飾緞帶。
黛安芬表示，日本商店每年用掉三百萬個塑膠袋，近三分之一遭到丟棄而非回收。
日本黛安芬表示，面臨激烈的競爭，很少商家會冒著不給塑膠袋而失去客戶的風險。黛安芬在聲明中指出︰「在這種情況下，最值得關注的是每位顧客都了解到勿使用塑膠袋的重要性。」
黛安芬表示，雖然他們目前並無將環保胸罩大量上市的計畫，但已為它申請專利。
（法新社/翻譯：賴美君）
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A: Bruno Mars is definitely one of today’s most popular singers. B: He has even won 14 Grammy Awards. A: I love all his megahits, like “Just the Way You Are.” B: And his new song with Lady Gaga “Die with a Smile” has a caused worldwide sensation. A: I wonder if we’ll hear the new song at his Kaohsiung concert? A: 火星人布魯諾是近年來最受歡迎的流行歌手。 B: 對啊他還曾榮獲14座葛萊美獎。 A: 他所有的金曲我都愛，像《Just the Way You Are》。 B: 最近他和女神卡卡合唱《Die with a Smile》更造成大轟動！ A: 不知道在高雄有沒有機會聽他演唱這首新歌呢？ (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
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