Traders, explorers, and travelers have been visiting the tropical shores of Kochi for over 600 years. Nowhere else in India can you find such an intriguing mix of giant Chinese fishing nets, a 400-year-old synagogue, ancient mosques, Portuguese houses, and the crumbling remains of the British Raj. A ride on a houseboat through the backwaters of this southern state of Kerala changes your world. Wander more by wearing a piece of Kochi. Explore Kochi on the Rice Love Journal.

A BACKPACK THAT IS UNIQUELY YOURS

Every backpack is one-of-a-kind! The new colorful cotton patterned pieces are consistent on every Kochi, however the burlap (jute) pieces on the sides and the front pocket are recycled from authentic Indian rice bags. Each piece is unique. There will never bee another backpack made just like it. The slight imperfections you find help tell this incredibly human story between the fabrics, the seamstress who made it, the family who received the rice, and you. As you use this backpack, you carry the story forward through your daily adventures.

RECYCLED = ECO-FRIENDLY

Handmade from used jute/burlap rice bags, the bags in the Recycled Collection are made from plant-based fibers, are biodegradable, and eco-friendly. Our recycled bags have the natural smell of jute/burlap. We keep discarded rice bags out of the landfills and give them new life! Buying this bag helps preserve the earth's resources! Good karma. Good vibes.

WHAT YOU ARE GIVING

This bag provides 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rice, which provides the rice needed for 12 individual meals. Based on a typical family of 4 in India, eating rice 3 meals per day, this gift lasts one day. Your bag comes with a unique hang tag number, which allows you to find the photo and story of the family you are helping on ricelove.com. In order to make hand-delivery possible, others will be contributing to the same family you are. We deliver 25 kilos of rice per family at a time, which provides for about a month supply of rice! Buying this bag feeds families!

BEST USES & CARE

This is a lightweight backpack designed for day use. Great for packing a sweatshirt, laptop, food, and more. This is not a heavy duty pack. It is not designed for extended trips or to be filled with heavy items, such as multiple textbooks, multiple water bottles, or heavy gear. Recycled bags may be hand washed or spot cleaned and air dried. Please do NOT machine wash or machine dry.

INTERNATIONAL DUTIES NOTICE

All orders are shipped from the USA. The cost of import fees and/or duties are NOT included in the cost of shipping. If you live outside the USA, you may be required to pay a duty before you can pick up your package. It is important to know your countries rates for duties as you will be responsible for this added cost. If you do not pay the duty, the package will be returned to us. In this case, we will contact you to ask if you would like to pay to have the package re-shipped to you or if you would like a refund on the cost of the product (excluding shipping). Most European countries have import fees, however, they are generally less than the cost of the product(s), and the fees are not charged consistently on every package. Customers have not reported any duties for Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

Every backpack is one-of-a-kind!

The burlap pieces are recycled from authentic Indian rice bags. These bags are purchased from local sources and reduces the amount of waste in the landfills.

Since all bags come from recycled materials expect slight imperfections and variations in every bag.

No bag is exactly the same.

Between the fabric, the seamstress who made it, the family who receives the rice, and you, every bag has a different story. You are giving life. You are a part of the story.

Each bag is made of recycled materials. Expect the same color scheme but variations in design and patterns.

We hand-deliver 1 kilo of rice for every item we make.

India alone has a population of 1.2 billion people. About 450 million, or 37%, are below the world poverty line, living on $1.25 USD per day. This leads to poor health, disease, and needless death. We give in India because it has more poor than any country in the world, 1/3 of the world's total poor.

From a Western perspective, it can be very difficult to imagine just how important rice is to Asia and the Pacific Islands. Westerners can easily get by without eating rice. But, in Asia, this is not case. In India, rice is eaten three times per day. For low income families, rice is the primary source of daily calories. These families are not bombarded by packaged foods and fast food, like exist in the developed world. In Asia, rice is life. The amount of rice we provide lifts a tremendous burden from families who are strained in many way beyond financial. Most families dream of sending their children to private school in India, which is the beginning of the path out of poverty. Many families use the money they save to pay an admittance fee for one of their children to get into school, which provides hope for the future.

We give 25 kilos of rice at a time. For every 25 items we produce, we hand-deliver a 25 kilo bag of rice. For example, if each customer only purchased 1 item, it would take 25 customers to give 25 kilos of rice to one family. 25 items made = 25 kilos delivered.

We don't buy rice in one country and send it to another, which would negatively impact the local economy. Instead, we buy rice locally from retail stores supporting the supply chain all of the way to the lowest levels. We buy from the places that the people would be buying from if we weren't there. The income that the family saves on rice can be used towards these necessities in their local village, therefore, stimulating the local economy.

We have partnered with a former farmer named Pulla, who travels to villages around India (currently near Hyderabad). Pulla meets with the village leader and explains what Rice Love is and how it works. He asks permission to help families in the village based on the leaders recommendation. The leaders identify families that are struggling due to job loss or illness. Pulla interviews each family one by one. With the permission of the family, Pulla's assistant writes down their story and takes their photo. If the need is sufficient, the family is given a token which can be redeemed the following week for a 25 kilo bag of high quality rice.

We give to single mothers, older women, however, we focus on giving to families. There are many organizations that help children, the old, and the disabled. We focus on the family because they are mostly overlooked. Millions of families in India struggle to get by financially. By supporting the family, we support the children, and the future.

If we are going to give on your behalf, you deserve to see the proof. Every item we produce comes with a hang tag with a unique number on it. You can use that number to look up the family you fed above! Every single item is accounted for. See the proof! Read the stories. We guarantee you will not regret it!

Each bag and purse is handmade from recycled jute/burlap rice bags, the bags in the Recycled Collection are made from plant-based fibers, are biodegradable, and eco-friendly.

Our recycled bags have the natural smell of jute/burlap and sometimes takes a few days to air out after shipment.

You are keeping discarded rice bags out of the landfills and giving them a new life!

Buying this bag helps preserve our Earth's resources!

Good karma. Good vibes.

Please read through the information below carefully. If you do not see the information you are looking for, please email us at hello@ricelove.org. We're happy to help!

Returns

If you would like to make a return, please email customerservice@ricelove.org to notify us of your order number so that we can expect the return. Returns for a refund are only accepted within 6 months of the original purchase date. Please include the following information inside your package. You may print the original invoice or hand write the following information:

Original purchaser's full name
Email address or order number

Please write "Return" on the outside of the package and mail to:

Rice Love

1226 S 630 E

Ste 1

American Fork UT 84003

Refunds

We regret that we cannot offer any refunds unless the purchased item/s retain resale quality and the original purchase date is within 6 months of the return date. Please do not return defective or damaged items (even if received in this manner). To see if your product qualifies for a warranty replacement, please see our warranty section for more information. When you send your item for a refund, we recommend you retain your postage receipt and tracking number in order to confirm your return's safe arrival at our warehouse. After we receive the item, please allow up to 3-5 business days for item inspection and initiating the refund. Credit card companies may take up to 7-10 business days before restoring credit to your account. If you don't see the credit in your account within two weeks of our receipt, please contact us at hello@ricelove.org.

Exchanges

If you would exchange an item, the best approach is to order the new item. Then, follow the instructions to return the item you do not want. The item you return must be in resalable condition in order to qualify for a refund. You will have to pay shipping to return the item and shipping to receive the new item.

Cancellations

You may cancel an order for a full refund at any time before it is shipped by emailing customerservice@ricelove.org. However, the email must be received at least 48 hours before the order is shipped in order to have time to cancel the order before it is processed.

Gift Returns

We are not allowed to provide cash refunds to the receivers of gifts. However, we can provide a refund to the original purchaser. If you received an item as a gift and would like to exchange it, please follow the Exchange Policy above. You must indicate on a piece of paper inside the package the name of the original purchaser and that you desire to make a gift exchange. The is best to coordinate with customerservice@ricelove.org.

Warranty

Our products have a 6-month limited warranty. If no claim is made within 6-months of the original date of purchase, the claim will not qualify for warranty coverage. In order to make a warranty claim, please email photos of any damages of your products with the subject line "WARRANTY" to hello@ricelove.org. We will determine if the product qualifies for a replacement for the same or similar product. We do not provide refunds for warranty claims. The cost of postage to receive the new item is covered by the customer. We do not ask customers to pay to mail defective or damaged products to us. Instead, we encourage customers to fix, use, or recycle damaged products.

International Duties Notice

Please read through the information below carefully. If you do not see the information you are looking for, please email us at hello@ricelove.org. We're happy to help!

Returns