Sharie Renee wants the accessories she makes to do more than look good—she wants them to do good, too.

“Ultimately, a purse is changing people’s lives,” said Renee, the founder and owner of Cosmic Bobbins, a “socially conscious” accessories company.

Renee, of Brecksville, uses recyclable materials to create purses and other unique accessories that she sells online and in local stores. She began upcycling items about 10 years ago, shifting her focus to the accessories line about six or seven years ago. Renee is the sole designer of the products.

She follows a fair-trade model and employs individuals who, otherwise, might not have such an opportunity. She hires local groups that help people with special needs to help her sort through the recycled magazines she uses to make her bags, and she employs a family living outside of Mexico City to weave each one. All the finishing is done in Northeast Ohio, she said, and she hires young people in Cleveland during the summer to help, giving them a chance to learn about all aspects of the business.

“There’s a lot of love and a lot of craft and skill that go into making each piece,” she said.

Renee lives in Brecksville and graduated from Brecksville-Broadview Heights, but spent a lot of time in Cleveland at the family business as a child. Those experiences, as well as the time she spent living in the Mexico City area, made her want to give back and help empower those in poverty.

Renee said her family’s entrepreneurial spirit—her grandfather ran a Cleveland funeral home—has inspired her over the years. Her grandfather instilled the idea that women can do whatever they want, she said.

Cosmic Bobbins can be found online on Etsy and Facebook.