10 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags

Published by admin under In The Begining on June 16, 2009

I was grabbing all my reusable tote bags to get ready to go grocery shopping when Matthew gets home from work, and started thinking about how we hardly ever use plastic grocery bags anymore. In fact several places we shopped at have informed us that they are going to be charging per plastic bag very soon. I guess that is a good way to force people to be more environmentally conscious. However when I do not have enough reusable totes for all of our purchases they put whatever we couldn’t fit into those plastic grocery bags. Most people I have ever met have stashed in their pantry somewhere all those plastic bags leftover from shopping.  I know I do. Ikea even sells a plastic grocery bag dispenser. That begs the question of what are we doing with all these bags we are stashing….obviously people are reusing them we are not just throwing them away. I really have qualms with the people who are always like “RECYCLING IS THE ANSWER”.  A couple of times on our way out of the stores we’ve been informed that we can bring back that plastic bag(you know the one they’re going to start selling to us….) and leave it at the recycle drop box so they can sell it to someone who is going to reuse it. Which brings me to my next point. People tend to forget that recycling is about reusing/or re-purposing what you would normally consider “trash” or waste/by product. I have often heard people complain that recycling is inconvenient, but you are capable yourself of re-purposing your “trash”.  Some examples would be that Matthew, and I save our Marie Calendars microwavable dishes from the TV dinner. We use them for little bowls for Vera’s Spaghetti O’s or cereal. I must mention that they heat up really well too haha. I’ve also saved several 3 liter bottles and made a water cyclone with Vera. Crafting with your trash can be pretty fun.  I decided I would compile a list of things that you can do with your plastic grocery bags.I mean after all soon you are going to be paying for them shouldn’t they be doing double duty for you?

1. Doggy ‘Duty’:Some places have fines up to $1000.00. Don’t know about you but I do not have that kind of change just laying around. So use your grocery bag to pick up the duty, or check out this urban pet potty solution!
2. Dirty Diaper: I personally use my diaper genie, but when I am out I have with me my handy little grocery bags to stash dirty diapers in. Don’t want to be rude and leave a loaded diaper in their trash do you?
3. Lunch Box: Throw your lunch in the plastic bag and go….you can even reuse the bag several times till it’s worn out then drop it off at the recycling box outside your local grocery store or target! Here’s a two for one idea;why not use your bag to pack a picnic.
4. Small Trash Pail Liner: You know that little trash pail you have stashed under your desk or in the bathroom. The grocery bag is the perfect size!
5. Packaging Material: Ok, all you ebayers and Amazon shop owners this one is a shout out to you! You’ve already paid for the bags so why not use them to pad your items for shipping? You could even run them through the shredder so they don’t appear to be a grocery bag.
6. Make a Kite: I have seen this on wiki how-to, and am itching to make one with Vera! All you need is a couple of bags, string, and tape and you’ll be flying your very own kite.
7. Pick Up the Mail: I do not know about you, but sometimes I go a week without getting my mail because I am so busy. Having a bag handy makes carrying all that mail back to the apartment a lot easier.
8. Organize: (Do NOT use to organize children’s things as it may present a choking hazard) That junk drawer that you know you have….everyone does….take out those plastic bags and organize screws, tapes, or batteries. You can separate the items out into bags even writing in permanent marker on the bag what the items are after tying ‘em up!
9. Wet or Soiled Cloths: Throw your dirty clothes if you are out and about,headed home from the gym, or leaving the pool in a plastic bag. That way it doesn’t soil your other things on your way home.
10. Gloves:Use them like a rubber glove when you don’t have any. If there is something gross you don’t want to touch like a dead mouse or cockroach when you use the bag to pick ‘em up just turn it inside out with the item inside and then dispose of it.

I implore you all to find ways to reuse your plastic grocery bags. Once you used them as much as you possibly can, and they’re still ‘alive’ haha please recycle them! I am challenging you all to find new and useful ways to use them. I may just award someone with this greenaid shopping bag so they can wage their war on plastic if someone submits something extra creative and noteworthy!