Did you know that plastic bags are one of the biggest perpetrators of environmental harm? Every year, about 380 billion bags are used in the United States alone. Global estimates put the number of plastic bags used every year at almost a trillion bags. To bring that to reality, approximately one million plastic bags are being used and thrown away every minute. That is massive!
What is also massive is the damage to the environment. If you look at the use of plastic bags on an environmental scale there are many problems with the production of that much plastic. A few of the main issues are that they not biodegradable. Meaning, they never break down. They take up space and leech harmful chemicals into our land and waters. Also they can be damaging to wildlife and marine life. Turtles, for instance, can mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish. If try to eat them, they will eventually die when the plastic bags expand in their stomach.
So what is an answer, besides wishing they were gone?
While not the ideal option, Recycling can help. Although recycling uses a lot of energy and also produces harmful chemical residues in and of itself, it will also reduce the amount of the bags that end up in landfills, sewers and waterways. Many recyclers are turning the plastics into things like carpeting. Reusing your plastic bags is perhaps the #1 way to help the environment, while saving money too.
Here are a many ways you can reuse your plastic grocery bags, besides taking them back to the grocery store each time you shop. Here are a few ways I use mine.
Use It as a Trash Bag
Use it in your kitchen, in your bedrooms or in the bathroom as a trash bag. The small size is perfect for smaller waste cans and you can use it over and over before it tears.
Doggy Poop Bags
Instead of buying doggy poop bags or using zip lock bags, just use your plastic bags. If you accumulate a lot of bags, this is a fantastic way to put them to use.
Use Them in the Garden
Do you use leaf bags to help manage your garden? Instead of buying other bags, why not just use your existing plastic bags instead? You can then dump the leaves and debris into your green can and continue to use the plastic bags until the are torn.
As a Food Storage Tool
Plastic bags also work well in the kitchen to help keep out bugs by placing the products in the bag and tying the bag closed. Plus some foods are messy to store. For example, flour can get all over the place once you’ve opened it, if you do not have a container. Put it in a bag, squeeze out the air and tie it closed.
Tear It Up for Packaging
Who needs bubble wrap? Shred up your used plastic bags and use them for packaging. They can be used over and over again.
Make Crafts With Them
I am not a crafter like this, but I have seen many items made with plastic garbage bags where you can roll them into strips, braid them and create amazing items. I have seen small and large purses and even throw rugs made from plastic bags.
If you like to crochet, you can cut the plastic bags into strips, tie them together and make what is called “Plarn” aka Plastic Yarn. You can do a search on the internet for tons of FREE crochet plarn projects with instructions.
As you can tell, there are a lot of ways to put old plastic bags to use. Of course, the best environmental course is to use your own bags whenever possible. If you do have plastic bags, don’t throw them away – recycle and/or reuse them instead.
What are some of the ways you use plastic bags at your home?
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I also have thought about how to reuse plastic bags. I already use them as garbage bags, to store food, to protect boots. I haven’t yet tried any crafts with them
I’ve actually on numerous occasions have thought about how else I can help to reduce the use of plastic bags and then reuse or recycle the ones that I do happen to collect over time. I already use mine as trash bags and to store food (especially if I’m on a trip). The others are recycled. The suggestions mentioned here are great and just fuel my creativity even more. I try to use a fabric or reusable tote for groceries, but clearly I need to be more adamant about that habit.
I use them for the small waste baskets in the bathroom & bedroom. I use a few canvas bags at the grocery store and the cashier deducts 5 cents for each bag I use.
very good tips. We use them for trash bags and collect the kitty poop in them. ALso use them as packing material for shipping stuff!
I’ve cut way down on plastic bag use over the last couple of years. My car is full of cloth bags for all my shopping.
Where I live they now charge you 5 cents if you want a bag, so most folks bring their own, especially to grovery stores. Now if I have a plastic bag on hand, I use it scoop the cat poop and I an put the whole thing, including the bag, in our city’s organic recycling program.
Plastic bags are everywhere! We try to recycle. Most things – plastic, cardboard, glass, catalogs – can all be taken up town to recycle bins, but plastic bags need to be taken to Walmart. We do reuse some…bathroom and office trashes, tarps for wet shoes or for packaging. I have the majority of them in my car but still can’t seem to remember to take it in when I go there to shop. 🙂