Basmati Rice Tote Bags Are A Real Thing - And Twitter Can't Believe It

Next time you get Basmati rice, don't throw the sack away - instead, try repurposing it into a trendy tote bag. Sounds rather like a strange thing to do? Many on Twitter would agree with you if you answered yes. In fact, thousands of people on the microblogging platform were left stunned to discover that "Basmati rice tote bags" are a thing that actually exist.

The bags came to light last week when a Twitter user wrote "I can't believe this is real" while sharing a picture of a Basmati rice tote bag, which is exactly what is sounds like - a sack reimagined into a bag.

The brown sack, once used to hold 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of Basmati rice straight from "the foothills of the Himalayas, has now been fitted with a zipper to create a tote bag. According to the picture shared on Twitter, it retails for $15 - or approximately Rs 1,100. 

i can't believe this is real- pic.twitter.com/JXP1mj8OBK

— nurhan (@naahrun) September 4, 2020

The tweet has garnered nearly 75,000 'likes' and 8,000 'retweets'. While many said that the Basmati rice bags were bizarre, others applauded people for recycling and reusing. 

"People who drink 'chai tea' will buy this," wrote one person in the comments section. 

"I applaud the upcycling, but $15 for repurposed trash?" another asked.

Many Twitter users found more examples of rice sacks being repurposed and sold online. 

HELP pic.twitter.com/BYm2lnjARV

— Ⓐ ???? ᵃ ᶜ ᵃ ᵇ (@rektihavebeen) September 5, 2020

There are are so many of these on Etsy I'm crying pic.twitter.com/VkG1GgpXZD

— ????.???????? (@badassflowerbby) September 5, 2020

On e-commerce website Etsy, rice sack handbags are common and can fetch as much as $60. 

Strange or eco-friendly or both? Let us know what you think using the comments section.