Re.Bag.Re.Use Repurposes Old T-Shirts into Goodie Bags for the Black Mountain Ultra

In their latest purpose-driven project, Re.Bag.Re.Use turned fabric from old T-shirts and curtains into meaningful work for hardworking women and sustainable style for the runners who came out to the... The post Re.Bag.Re.Use Repurposes Old T-Shirts into Goodie Bags for the Black Mountain Ultra appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 7, 2026 - 07:27

Re.Bag.Re.Use Repurposes Old T-Shirts into Goodie Bags for the Black Mountain Ultra

In their latest purpose-driven project, Re.Bag.Re.Use turned fabric from old T-shirts and curtains into meaningful work for hardworking women and sustainable style for the runners who came out to the inaugural Black Mountain Ultra.

Western Cape, South Africa (07 May 2026) – When runners lined up at the inaugural Black Mountain Ultra Trail (BMUT) last weekend, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Klein Karoo, they came for a challenge. What many may not have realised was that the goodie bag they received carried a story of resilience, creativity, and opportunity.

In collaboration with Re.Bag.Re.Use, a total of 190 handcrafted goodie bags were produced using repurposed materials.

The Re.Bag.Re.Use team crocheted 129 of these, with the balance made by women from the Vroue Landbou Vereeniging (VLV) across South Africa, forming a broader collective effort to transform discarded materials into something practical and meaningful.

Re.Bag.Re.Use Founder, Regine le Roux, confirmed that each bag was made from repurposed fabric, including T-shirts, curtain material and other fabric off-cuts. On average, the equivalent of about seven T-shirts was used per bag, giving new life to materials that might otherwise have ended up in landfill. The result is a functional, durable item designed for use long after race day.

Margaret Nyika, one of the Re.Bag.Re.Use crocheters, with a bag she helped create for the Black Mountain Ultra Trail goodie bags.

More importantly, it represents something beyond the product itself.

The project created meaningful work opportunities for women, turning accessible materials into a source of dignity and value. It is a simple but powerful model: waste-to-worth, where skills meet opportunity and creativity becomes a catalyst for change.

“We wanted this race to leave a positive footprint, not just on the trails, but in the lives of people connected to it. Seeing these bags come together, knowing they support women and give new life to discarded materials, adds a layer of meaning that goes far beyond race weekend,” says Elize van Staden, organiser of the Black Mountain Ultra Trail and founder of Traverse The Earth.

Regine added that being part of this initiative was incredibly rewarding.

“We are used to working with repurposed plastic bags, but this project allowed us to explore fabric and other materials in a new way. It reminded us that there is so much potential in what we often overlook, and that it can be transformed into something both practical and meaningful.”

For participants, the goodie bag became more than a collection of race-day items. It represented a practical example of how thoughtful choices can create meaningful impact.

In the end, the journey is not only about the distance covered on the trail. It is also about the difference created along the way.